Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

Twenty meters, fifty meters, one hundred meters...

As the distance increases, dense trees gradually replace the grass, adding darker shades to the green underfoot, and the gloomy place further ahead begins to reveal a message—danger.

White butterflies, lying on their sides, nibble on tree fruits. Shy buds, hidden in the bushes, sway their branches. Birds occasionally flit across the sky, casting dark shadows that startle ladybugs, who hurriedly hide on the underside of leaves, not daring to make a sound.

Just as Nan Yin was about to give up, the trail she had set out to take ended.

"Snap..."

The owner of the voice was curled up in a ball, trembling, and lying prostrate in the dense shade of the giant tree.

It has a pointed horn on its forehead, its arms are replaced by pincers, its armpits are covered with wing membranes, and its tail has a chelicerae.

"As expected, it could only be a Scorpio."

Standing at a distance, it was not in vain to make a move; the girl simply spread out her mental power little by little to obtain the information she could.

As expected, there were large areas of wounds on the carapace of the former's back and chest.

Its types are uniformly serrated cuts and pinhole-like penetrations.

It is obvious that these wounds could only have been inflicted by their own kind.

reason?

While she couldn't see things clearly, Scorpio's unusual colors and the limited food resources around her provided her with an idea.

Was she ostracized by her tribe because of her different color?

Indeed, in the eyes of humans, shiny Pokémon are a symbol of rarity, and in every generation, countless players regard them as a goal or even an achievement they must obtain.

However, the conventional thinking that uses humans as a reference point does not apply to other kinds of organisms.

Even though Scorpios are naturally mischievous and seem unaware of worries and troubles, constantly wandering between searching for food and playing around, they still have a basic social hierarchy.

These sprites rely on the most common form of vision and on comparisons with each other to distinguish individuals.

However, Scorpions' eyes are quite primitive; they cannot distinguish similarities in size, but will only magnify differences in color.

Therefore, this unusual blue, this one-in-a-million existence, will only become the unique impurity in the world.

From avoiding it at all costs to ostracizing and oppressing it, when the first snowflake falls, a collective avalanche becomes inevitable.

Take out the Rotom Compendium; at the top of the screen, Dr. Blatano's assessment of this type of being is still displayed.

[They are so unique that they are completely out of place in their environment. The vast majority of them die before they even reach adulthood at the hands of their own kind, while the truly powerful individuals of different colors usually unify and purge the group.]

If you can't adapt to your environment, then make your environment adapt to you. This is why people equate brilliance with strength in the eyes of the world.

Withdrawing her overly sharp gaze, Nan Yin made no attempt to conceal her selfish motives—

She wanted to win over the child.

Setting aside the cost-saving measures for nurturing her, and setting aside her individual excellence, it wasn't out of pity or ulterior motives; the girl simply wanted to become stronger.

She needed this opportunity, this perfectly timed opportunity.

Unable to preach any grand principles, nor to uphold the kindness of the protagonist in the story, Nan Yin can only offer one guarantee.

For yourself, and for the other person.

If the child is willing, she will give everything to care for it and nurture it.

She couldn't produce any exquisitely crafted, delicious energy cubes, nor could she produce any nutritious fresh milk or cooked food. All she had now was some not-so-fresh wood seeds in her handbag.

Whether it's enough for Nan Yin is unclear, but she's going to try.

Without trying to close the distance, she simply placed the few remaining bunches of fruit on the ground.

"Ibrahimovic."

Nanyin summoned her own Eevee, then broke the fruit open with her finger, giving half to the Eevee and keeping the other half for herself.

Then, gently push the remaining fruit seeds toward the other small animal.

There are no complicated beating around the bush; this is the most straightforward statement—sharing.

"Pa-hey?"

There may be surprise or confusion, but the blue scorpion still did not move. It simply hid behind the tree, observing the former's actions with only one eye showing.

There were no other sounds; Nanyin and Yibu's sharing continued, slowly, slowly, driven by the hunger of an empty stomach and the last vestiges of courage, they moved closer and closer.

Ten meters, five meters, one meter.

At this distance, both sides can see each other clearly.

"Snap..."

Carefully picking up a bunch of fruit with its pincers, the scorpion scrutinized the girl's expression. Seeing that she didn't verbally object but only greeted it with a slight smile, it abandoned its plan to turn and flee.

Similarly, it's not like they're starving and will eat anything; after each bite, Scorpio will glance at the other person.

Without any verbal communication, it slowly progressed from its initial stumbling to normal swallowing amidst the soft chewing sounds.

Hey.

The last fruit pit fell to the ground, symbolizing that the sharing session had come to an end.

She clapped her hands lightly, spilling the juice that had gotten on them, and after exchanging a familiar glance with Eevee, Nan Yin naturally picked up her bag and turned away.

However, during this trip, she found herself with a little tail that she couldn't shake off.

It's no wonder the child is so simple and honest; it just doesn't want to go hungry, doesn't want to get hurt, and doesn't want to face the stares of its kind as if it were an outsider.

Yes, no matter how many scars are on the carapace, the greatest trauma a small animal suffers is the lack of perspective that prevents it from being regarded as a companion.

Therefore, even though the fruit is no longer fresh, and its original sweetness has been mixed with astringency.

But at least, the humans of today are not like the groups of the past, isolating it, denying it, and oppressing it.

At least, the humans in front of it not only don't compete with it for food, but also generously share it.

Scorpio simply prefers this way of interacting.

Chapter Nine: Meeting Master Fu

As the sun sets and dusk approaches, the cool warmth of spring seeps into the woods along with the golden hues of the distant landscape.

To the eye it may appear beautiful, but this is not a good sign.

Wiping away the fine sweat from her forehead and taking a sip of warm water, Nan Yin slowed her pace.

While it wasn't exactly a miscalculation, she did misjudge the actual size of the sparse woods and forgot that her fifteen-year-old body had limited tolerance.

"I thought we could arrive by 6 p.m., given the short distance, but now I'm afraid it will have to be delayed again."

After untying the laces of her ankle boots and removing her plain-colored low-cut socks, the girl's soles were red and swollen after three or four hours of pressure.

The cutting of grass blades, the obstruction of branches, the undulations of the soil—these things constantly put pressure on the legs and feet.

"Bu Yi..."

Embracing Nan Yin's calves, and gently stroking them with his face, Ibu's eyes were filled with worry.

"It's nothing, just some stress bruises."

Gently patting her cheeks to wipe away the weariness that had crept up her brow, Nan Yin didn't want to show her dejection in front of her child.

Moreover, even if the capture halfway through disrupted the plan, and even if her feet were sore and aching, she was willing to do it.

Looking back at the timid Scorpio following behind her, the girl raised her eyebrows slightly.

This is the greatest gain I have made from this trip.

Yes, when resources are limited, raising a slow-growing, expensive elf, even with amazing potential, is a last resort, but Scorpio is not in this category.

With habits similar to insects and an easy-to-eat diet, it has greatly protected Nanyin's meager wallet and has great potential for future development.

Without the need for gradual accumulation and resource building, simply by giving the child a sharp claw, the child can complete the transition to a mature form, naturally replacing the hidden characteristic of immunity with poison therapy.

Poison therapy, as the name suggests, means that being in a state of poisoning will not only not harm one's condition, but can actually benefit one by healing wounds.

If equipped with a Poison Orb, it can apply poison at the start of the battle, and with its excellent durability and resistance to ground and flying types, it can easily stay on the field and defeat its opponent.

Perhaps, the fourfold weakness to Ice is indeed a weakness that cannot be ignored, but as everyone knows, fourfold vulnerability has always been a symbol of strength, not to mention that its own Earthquake can effectively kill Steel-type Pokémon that are immune to poison.

The tactics of using poison to defend against various attacks are endless. Although it was pioneered by Breloom, it was the future of its own little beast, Gliscor, who truly popularized it.

With this desire, how could Nanyin possibly feel dissatisfied?

Pushing aside the dense bushes, she bent down and slowly moved forward. As her sense of restraint faded, the world before her eyes suddenly opened up.

Like the sun breaking through the clouds, the lush tea fields stretch down the mountainside in terraces, while towering ancient trees are interspersed with countless low buildings, weaving green fields with human footprints.

The sense of layering is fully demonstrated at this moment.

Instead of setting off immediately, Nan Yin stood atop the mountain, took a deep breath, and sighed inwardly.

"Buy~"

As always, they perched on each other's shoulders, gazing at the distant view. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the shadows of the girl and the little beast stretched infinitely long, shimmering brilliantly.

Their journey truly began from this moment.

So--

"Let's go, Ibu, Scorpion."

Using his hands to brace himself against the ground, he leaped down from the height without running. Instead, he used the friction between the soles of his shoes and the soil to slide down the slope all the way to the bottom of the valley.

Ever since she gained telekinesis, she had wanted to personally try out the daring feats of wilderness survival experts.

By tiptoeing and shaking slightly, the dust on the body can be shaken off, but the residue inside the shoes needs to be carefully cleaned indoors.

In conclusion, a safe landing.

Without lingering, she wanted to reach the hotel in Biyi City before it got completely dark.

Stepping into the terraced fields, Nan Yin carefully chose where to stand, not wanting to damage the thriving tea plants.

Just as the young girl was cautiously pacing back and forth, a steady, powerful male voice, tinged with a smile, came from nearby.

“Girl, you’re going to Biyi City, right? Getting there this way won’t take you enough time.”

Holding scissors in one hand and with the other behind his back, even with his white hair and beard, the old man's spirit was no less than that of a young man, just like an ancient tree that stands tall and strong.

Logically speaking, at this time, most tea farmers would have finished their day's work and gathered around the dining table to chat with their families and have dinner together. But the person in front of me clearly didn't have the hurried pace of someone returning home.

"Please excuse my rudeness, sir. This is my first time visiting this city, and the magnificent scenery along the way has kept me lingering for quite some time."

Although it was already dark, with the help of her meager mental power and vision, she was still able to recognize the other person's true identity.

"Haha, this is the only thing that can attract young people to Biyi City."

He uttered nonsense, but the old man's expression couldn't hide his enjoyment.

"I think you must be wondering why I said what I said before."

He raised his hand and pointed to the ancient tree that stretched straight to the sky in the distance, then spoke again, recounting his story in detail.

"The city of Biyi is rooted in the main branch of the Wishing Tree. If you choose to go there on foot, you must slowly climb along the gaps in the bark."

"Please enlighten me."

"This has been a long-standing tradition here. Come out, shuttlecock."

Following the call, numerous lithe sprites with cotton balls on their heads emerged from the bushes in various places.

"Grab their lower limbs, wait for a tailwind, and you can glide from the high terraced fields to the middle of the Wishing Tree. After that, you can take the elevator directly there. It may be a bit of a hassle, but I prefer to see the first half of the mountain climb as a test of the trainer's resilience."

"However, I'll leave it at that this time. I'll trouble you, my goat mount, to carry me and this child to Biyi City."

He threw the ball from his waist. He hadn't forgotten how the girl had carefully dodged the tea leaves. Besides, not only was she tired, but he himself was also a little tired after a busy day.

The old man gently patted his old partner's neck and shoulder, then turned to Nan Yin and offered his right hand, indicating that she should ride on the sheep's back.

"You don't mind if this old man takes advantage of you a little, do you, little girl?"

"You are serious."

"Haha, that's good."