Chapter 201
Exactly as Lorze predicted, when morning arrived, the Pokémon Hunters returned to
inspect the harvest from their Stealth Rock minefield.
However, Lorze absolutely hadn't anticipated just how ruthlessly they operated. They
likely mistook Little Ruo for a registered Trainer, instantly launching a lethal ambush
against her while she slept peacefully amidst the pack of Pokémon.
Or perhaps their target wasn't Little Ruo at all. Seeing her completely surrounded by over
fifty Pokémon— including premium Starter-tier species and the recently viral Milotic—
their eyes likely turned bloodshot with greed.
If they successfully pulled off this heist, clearing tens of millions of dollars was essentially
guaranteed. Who the hell could resist that level of temptation?
Terrified that Milotic might escape into the lake, they wasted zero time barking orders,
commanding their Pokémon to launch an immediate assault.
An Energy Ball blasted from a Veteran-tier Cacturne, hurtling directly toward Milotic.
If that projectile connected, not only would Milotic suffer catastrophic damage, but Little
Ruo, who was sleeping curled in her embrace, would mathematically be killed on impact.
It was glaringly obvious this crew placed absolutely zero value on human life. These
weren't standard Pokémon Hunters; they were literal, bloodthirsty psychopaths.
In truth, Lorze rarely harbored innate prejudice against Pokémon Hunters as a
demographic. Having crawled up from the absolute bottom of the social hierarchy
himself, he understood perfectly well that many realities couldn't simply be classified as
black and white; most of the time, people were simply forced into desperate corners by
their circumstances.
If he hadn't secured early investments from Auntie Roxanne and the Xue family, it would
have been financially impossible for him to cultivate a Psychic-type like Ralts. Ultimately,
to generate the necessary capital, his only viable option would have been walking the
exact same path as a Pokémon Hunter.
Who could blame them, when society dictated that the harder you worked, the less you
earned?
But having the sheer audacity to launch a lethal strike against a human... that completely
altered the operational parameters.
Given how decisively they executed the strike, it was obvious this wasn't their first
murder attempt. Did they honestly expect Pheromosa to tolerate that?
She was an entity forged through endless slaughter in the brutally resource-starved
crucible of the Ultra Space. Who on Earth could match her level of sheer ruthlessness?
If her exposure to the internet hadn't informed her that human society possessed a
concept called "laws"
—and that actively murdering someone might cause operational
headaches for Lorze— she would have already ripped their heads clean off their
shoulders.
Leveraging her supernatural, Ultra-tier velocity, Pheromosa blurred into existence directly
in front of Little Ruo, casually swatting the incoming Energy Ball out of the air like a trivial
nuisance, crushing it instantly.
However, she made no further moves, seemingly exerting immense willpower tosuppress her absolute killing intent.
What genuinely startled Pheromosa was that while she, an Ultra Beast, was diligently
adhering to human laws... Lorze, a pure-blooded human, immediately barked: "Move!
What are you standing there for? Just leave one alive for interrogation!"
Pheromosa was rendered completely speechless: "Do you realize you are actively
breaking the law?"
Lorze shot her a flat look: "You ' re referencing civilian law. The Trainer Handbook
explicitly states that if ambushed by hostile Trainers in the wilderness, absolute priority
must be placed on personal survival, and all countermeasures are fully authorized.
Furthermore, they initiated the lethal strike; we are merely executing justifiable
self-defense.
"
Lorze projected an aura of absolute apathy. If you just incinerate the corpses afterward
until not even ash remains, who the hell is going to know where they died?
This was exactly the logic the Hunters operated on. Put on a mask, kill the target, and
unleash Flamethrower on the corpse until nothing remains. How the fuck is anyone going
to prove we did it?
This was exactly why the Hunters possessed zero psychological burden regarding
murder. There was no point discussing legal theory with psychopaths.
But Pheromosa shook her head: "Executing them in front of Little Ruo isn't a good idea,
is it?"
Lorze glanced down at Little Ruo, who had just woken up and was visibly shaken. He
had to admit, forcing such a pure, innocent girl to witness a decapitation wasn't exactly
optimal. He scratched his head helplessly: "Fine. Restrain them. We can claim a bounty
by handing them over to the police.
"
"Restrain them yourself.
"
Pheromosa curled her lip in disgust. Aside from the fact that she was a massive
germaphobe who absolutely refused to touch filthy men...
...since when did she become Lorze's personal attack dog?
I'm already doing you a massive favor by protecting your sister. Don't forget you are
supposed to be MY servant!
Pheromosa simply shot an icy glare at the Cacturne that dared attack her little sister. She
flickered forward like a phantom, delivering a seemingly casual, mundane kick that
violently launched the Cacturne into the air, instantly dropping it into a near-death state
upon impact.
Witnessing this utterly absurd scene, the three Pokémon Hunters looked exactly as
though they had just seen a ghost, their faces plastered with absolute terror as they
stared at the girl's long legs.
Since Pheromosa had currently assumed a human form, the three Hunters were
completely incapable of processing how a human girl with such slender limbs had just
one-shot a Veteran-tier Pokémon with a single kick!
It wasn't until the Cacturne crashed heavily into the dirt that the three of them snapped
back to reality!
The situation is wrong. Catastrophically wrong!
If the opposing Trainer had summoned a Champion-tier Pokémon to annihilate them,that would make sense. But how the fuck did a human possess that kind of physical
output?!
You aren't even Xue Tong, the Psychic!
"Boss, I think I recognize that guy...
" The tall, lanky Hunter— the third in command—
suddenly noticed the pure white Gardevoir standing beside Lorze.
The general public might not have a strong impression of Lorze' s handsome face, but his
pure white Gardevoir was universally recognized. Scanning the entire globe, it was highly
likely the only one in existence; it had functionally become his official ID badge.
"Who the fuck doesn't recognize him?! The situation is fucked. We're pulling out!" The
Boss's face turned pitch-black, instantly realizing they had kicked a solid iron plate.
Currently, across all of China, there was barely anyone left who didn't recognize Lorze.
Following his public release of the evolution pathways for Eevee and Milotic, even the
Pokémon Hunters had frantically begun scouring the wilderness for Eevees and Feebas.
The entire reason they had circled back to this lake was to investigate whether any
Feebas resided within its depths.
In their eyes, Lorze was practically guaranteed to be an official government operative.
Was there any psychopath out there who wasn't terrified of running into government
officials?
While they weren't necessarily terrified of Lorze himself, that girl who could punt a
Veteran-tier Pokémon into orbit was far too fucking terrifying!
Goddammit, what kind of cursed luck made us stumble right into their campsite?!
Fucking miserable!
The Boss didn't waste a single breath. He instantly recalled the Cacturne, summoned an
Elite-tier Camerupt, leaped onto its back, and bolted.
Fortunately for them, the mysterious girl didn't pursue. If she had utilized that
phantom-like velocity, they had absolutely zero confidence they could escape.
However, just as they exhaled a sigh of relief, a black-and-white silhouette suddenly
teleported directly in front of them, blocking their path.
"Gentlemen, since you went through the trouble of coming all this way, why don't you
stay for some tea before you leave?" Lorze and Gardevoir stood firmly in their way.
But the only response they received was a ruthless counter-attack from the Hunter Boss:
"Earth Power!"
The moment the command dropped, Camerupt violently stomped the ground, surging a
massive wave of dense, earthy-yellow energy directly toward Lorze, unhesitatingly
executing a lethal strike against the Trainer.
But Lorze merely offered a casual, two-word response: "Earth Eater.
"
Earth Eater: An Ability that completely nullifies Ground-type moves, converting the
incoming kinetic energy into health regeneration.
Running the Earth Eater Ability, Gardevoir simply raised her hand casually in front of
Lorze. The torrential wave of Ground-type energy was rapidly absorbed into her body;
Lorze remained entirely unscathed.
"Eruption!" The Boss's face darkened drastically, instantly shifting his attack vector.
"Useless. Flash Fire.
"
"Motherfucker! Solar Beam!""What a pity. We also happen to possess Sap Sipper.
"
Lorze calmly announced his absolute predictive reads on the Boss's every move. He and
Gardevoir stood completely still, allowing Camerupt to attack relentlessly without
mounting a single counter-offensive, even granting it the necessary charging window to
fire a full-power Solar Beam.
Yet, whether it was Ground, Fire, or Grass-type moves, the moment they struck
Gardevoir, they were instantly converted into raw nourishment. Not only did they fail to
inflict a single micro-point of damage, but they actively amplified her offensive stats.
This was the absolute, crushing advantage of Triple-Wielding Abilities. If Gardevoir
actively targeted a specific Pokémon's kit, she could mathematically neutralize its entire
operational capacity to zero.
Conveniently, Little Ruo was currently surrounded by over fifty different Pokémon;
Gardevoir could selectively harvest whatever Ability she required at a moment's notice.
The Boss's expression contorted into an ugly mask of pure dread. He finally recalled the
online analysis detailing how Lorze's Gardevoir could seamlessly cycle her Abilities at
will.
These three specific Abilities had clearly been pre-loaded to hard-counter his
Camerupt's exact move pool, permanently shutting down his primary offensive vectors.
He finally understood the absolute despair Lorze' s opponents felt in the tournament
arena.
He no longer possessed any viable assets capable of breaking this deadlock. He
furiously glared at his accomplices. What the fuck are you two standing around for? Do
you want to go to prison?!
"Turtonator, Dragon Pulse!"
"Breloom, Sky Uppercut!"
The second and third-in-command frantically summoned their Pokémon with grim
expressions. They deployed a Veteran-tier Turtonator and a Breloom that had barely
scraped into the Veteran tier (A-Rank).
The second-in-command actually has decent luck, managing to secure a Dragon-type
Pokémon.
But tragically... it was still utterly useless. In Lorze's presence, the Dragon typing no
longer commanded the absolute, oppressive dominance it once held over Trainers.
Before Gardevoir's awakened Fairy typing, the so-called "Invincible" Dragon typing was
nothing but a pathetic joke.
The Fairy typing required an absurdly miniscule volume of energy to completely dissolve
massive quantities of Dragon-type energy. The visual result was an absolute, flawless
immunity.
Gardevoir blatantly popped a Calm Mind directly in the face of the incoming Dragon
Pulse, showing absolutely zero respect for the vaunted Dragon typing. She then casually
fired off a Psychic toward the Breloom.
What followed was a sequence the three Hunters simply couldn't process.
The ferocious Dragon Pulse slammed directly into Gardevoir ' s body, yet it instantly
disintegrated like fragile tofu upon impact, failing to interrupt her Calm Mind sequence by
even a fraction of a second.Conversely, the moment Gardevoir's Psychic struck the Breloom, it effortlessly crushed
the kinetic energy gathered in its fist, seizing the Pokémon entirely and hoisting it
violently into the air.
A synchronized assault from two Veteran-tier and one Elite-tier Pokémon, yet they
couldn't even scratch the paint on a Pokémon deployed by a supposed "rookie"?
This is mathematically impossible... How the fuck did a Dragon Pulse get neutralized?
There is absolutely no Ability in existence that grants immunity to Dragon-type energy!
And what the hell was that Psychic? Even factoring in the type advantage against
Breloom, there is still an entire tier gap between them! How was it completely dominated
and suppressed that easily?
Just what the fuck did he do?!
Chapter 202
As Lorze had previously stated, while Gardevoir's overall operational tier was classified
as Elite, her pure psychic output had long since shattered that ceiling.
Based on current metrics, his assessment was flawlessly accurate. If she could
effortlessly one-shot a Veteran-tier Breloom with a casual strike, her raw psychic
fortitude was definitively resting at the Veteran tier minimum.
This meant that even without relying on her absurd Ability-swapping hacks, she could
comfortably trade blows with Veteran-tier opponents using standard Psychic-type
attacks, provided she wasn't facing a severe type disadvantage.
If she layered in a minor Ability buff— like slotting in Adaptability— systematically
dismantling a Veteran-tier opponent was absolutely no problem.
I never expected that one day, I too would possess the classic Sh ō nen protagonist
ability to punch far above my weight class and secure flawless victories.
Does this mean I'm officially a protagonist now~?
Cough, cough.
Deploying a few more casual volleys of Psychic, Gardevoir rapidly incapacitated the
remaining opponents, completely shattering their will to fight.
They had never fought such an inherently nauseating battle. Every single attack they
launched was entirely nullified, while every counter-attack from the opponent inflicted
lethal, super-effective damage, burying them under a profound sense of absolute
powerlessness.
If they could inflict even a sliver of chip damage, they might have fought to the bitter end.
But right now, let alone inflicting damage, their attacks were actively healing the enemy!
They had completely lost the will to resist.
"Gardevoir, are these the ones?" Lorze asked, looking at the three Hunters tightly bound
by telekinetic constraints.
"Yes. It's them.
" Gardevoir nodded. It was absolutely impossible for her to forget these
three faces.
It was these three demonic faces that had inflicted massive psychological trauma on her
when she was young, and it was their invasion that had forced her separation from her
mother.
"Then let's not waste any more time. Proceed with the hypnosis,
" Lorze signaled.Gardevoir nodded, unleashing a Hypnosis wave against the three Hunters, intending to
extract the exact location of her mother from their minds.
The three Hunters instantly panicked, assuming Lorze intended to hypnotize them before
executing a covert euthanasia. They frantically struggled, their faces completely drained
of blood.
Unfortunately, they weren't humanoid Pokémon; they absolutely lacked the physical
capacity to break free from a psychic bind. Under the influence of the hypnotic wave,
they rapidly lost consciousness.
Hypnosis was one of the moves Gardevoir unlocked upon achieving her final evolution.
Not only could it force a target into a deep sleep, but it could also trigger a highly specific
"mind-control" state— functioning exactly like truth serum— forcing the target into a
semi-lucid trance to confess all their crimes.
This was currently the primary interrogation tactic utilized by global law enforcement
agencies. It entirely eliminated the grueling process of hunting for evidence, forcing the
criminals to manually hand over the intel themselves.
Betraying yourself—is that not the ultimate form of NTR?
As an absolute master of NTR, Lorze naturally wasn't going to miss an opportunity to
cuck someone. He casually extracted their bank account passwords during the
interrogation.
Of course, he only asked for amusement; he had absolutely zero intention of transferring
the funds. The pathetic amount of capital they possessed was utterly beneath his notice.
Only a complete idiot would risk committing a federal crime for pocket change.
His primary objective was extracting intel regarding Gardevoir's mother. According to the
Hunters' testimonies, they had indeed pursued her mother in this sector over a year ago.
However, since her mother was a Veteran-tier entity, her Teleport range was incredibly
vast, making tracking her practically impossible. They completely failed to capture her.
Their only option was to permanently camp the perimeter, waiting for her mother to circle
back so they could launch an ambush.
During their stakeout, they actually discovered a photograph left inside the hollow tree by
Goddess Xue Tong. The photograph clearly featured the Ralts sisters, and written on the
back was the address for the Xue Family Dojo.
If Gardevoir's mother had managed to retrieve that photograph, she would have
possessed the necessary intel to track down her two daughters, right?
Tragically, the photograph had been confiscated by the Hunters. Discovering she had
missing daughters, they attempted to leverage that intel. The next time her mother
returned to search for them, the Hunters falsely claimed they had captured her daughters,
attempting to blackmail her into surrendering.
Initially, her mother had genuinely panicked, falling for the bluff. But one must remember
that the Gardevoir lineage possesses the biological capacity to perceive emotional
energy, so she quickly detected their deception.
However, by the time she realized it was a trap, she had already been lured deep into
their kill zone. She was nearly captured, ultimately sustaining critical injuries to barely
secure an escape.
Since that day, Gardevoir's mother had never reappeared. Failing to uncover herdaughters' whereabouts, she was forced to abandon the sector permanently, carrying an
immense, agonizing regret.
One had to admit, these Pokémon Hunters were truly absolute scum!
Upon learning the truth, Gardevoir nearly lost control, violently suppressing the urge to
crush their necks via telekinesis. Her older sister had deliberately left intel guaranteeing
their reunion, and these bastards had completely ruined it!
Ultimately, however, Gardevoir refrained from executing them— even though Lorze
actively encouraged her to kill them to vent her rage, assuring her they could just move
the bodies away so Little Ruo wouldn't see.
But Gardevoir had never taken a human life before, and she was inherently
uncomfortable crossing that line.
Regardless, these Hunters had an extensive body count on their records. Handing them
over to the police would easily earn them several death sentences. It was better to
process them through the legal framework of human society.
Plus, they could claim the bounty while they were at it, efficiently extracting every last
drop of surplus value from the trash.
Though that surplus value was absolutely insignificant compared to the loss of her
mother.
...
Having finalized the operational disposal protocol, Lorze's entourage quickly resumed
their journey.
To prevent a tragedy like Gardevoir's mother from ever recurring, Lorze deliberately
erected several wooden signs around the lake, explicitly stating: "YOU ARE ENTERING A
MONITORED ZONE.
" Whether it would actually deter future Hunters remained to be
seen.
Whatever. When we hand these three over to the authorities in the nearest town, I'll
casually mention this sector is heavily trafficked by Hunters.
Once all logistical chores were handled, Lorze and the team recalibrated their trajectory,
continuing their flight toward Mt. Chimney.
According to the Hunters' testimony, during their final encounter, the critically injured
mother had fled toward the south.
And that trajectory aligned perfectly with Mt. Chimney.
While this wasn't absolute confirmation that she had traveled to Mt. Chimney, it at least
provided a sliver of hope, didn't it?
He could distinctly sense Gardevoir intentionally accelerating the vehicle's flight speed. It
was glaringly obvious she was desperately praying for a miraculous reunion.
"Chaka~ Chaka~ Pri~!"
Just as Lorze and the others were submerged in heavy thoughts, a cheerful,
blessing-filled voice suddenly chirped from inside the sedan.
Hearing the noise, Lorze froze, immediately whipping his head around to check the
backseat.
To his shock, a round, egg-shaped Pokémon popped out from underneath Little Ruo's
seat, happily bounding directly into her lap.
"Is this... a Togepi?" Lorze stared blankly. When exactly did this little cutie infiltrate ourcar?
"Ah! It's the little Togepi from yesterday! Did you secretly follow us?" Little Ruo picked
up the Pokémon with delightful surprise. Wasn't this one of the Pokémon she had
snuggled with last night?
When she woke up, she couldn't find it and assumed it had wandered off. She never
expected it had sneakily hidden itself inside their vehicle.
"Chaka! Chaka!" Togepi nodded cheerfully, rubbing affectionately against Little Ruo's
chest, visibly adoring her.
"Togepi, the Spike Ball Pokémon. Lore states it only appears before individuals with a
compassionate, gentle heart, bestowing blessings upon them. It seems Togepi has
chosen you, Little Ruo. This is a species even rarer than a Ralts. Why don't you capture
it?" Lorze hadn't expected his sister to stumble upon such an incredible encounter. He
immediately retrieved an empty Poké Ball and handed it to her.
"Togepi, do you want to come with me?" Little Ruo asked seriously, confirming its intent.
"Chaka! Chaka!" Togepi nodded with absolute joy, then reached out and tapped the
button on the Poké Ball itself, voluntarily allowing itself to be captured.
And just like that, Little Ruo effortlessly secured her very first Pokémon.
Watching Little Ruo jump up in ecstatic joy—actually bumping her head against the car
roof— over claiming her own partner, Lorze couldn't help but feel incredibly happy for
her.
Though... he distinctly remembered Little Ruo initially wanting an Eevee as her starter.
Was this really okay?
Sigh, what does it matter? I'll just buy her an Eevee later.
It was perfectly timed, too. Togepi's Serene Grace Ability supposedly bestowed
immense luck upon its allies. If Gardevoir copied it using Trace, perhaps it could
genuinely trigger a miraculous encounter with her mother?
I must definitely schedule that!
Chapter 203
After departing from Gardevoir's former home, Lorze and the others spent another two
days traveling. By the morning of the fourth day, they finally arrived at the perimeter of
the Mt. Chimney Secret Realm.
The continuous three-day journey had depleted half of the vehicle's food reserves. Lorze
had no choice but to restock at the supply town situated on the Secret Realm's perimeter
before pressing deeper into the wilderness.
Following the resupply run, he took Little Ruo to the local Pokémon Center to conduct a
comprehensive health diagnostic for Togepi.
It was precisely at this moment, inside the Pokémon Center, that Lorze unexpectedly
bumped into an acquaintance—though "acquaintance" might be slightly overstating their
relationship.
More accurately, the other party recognized him despite his sunglasses and actively
initiated contact.
"Lorze?"
"Qiao Yue?"Lorze quickly turned around, his eyes landing on a slender, graceful silhouette.
He actually still remembered this beautiful girl. Wasn't she the eldest daughter of the
Qiao family who fought him using a Chansey during the Torchic Challenger Tournament?
Back then, she even proposed a bet mid-match: if she won, Lorze had to date her.
Consequently, Lorze promptly flipped the script and defeated her.
Thinking back on it now evoked a wave of nostalgia. Back then, he hadn't yet acquired
Cute Charm. This meant Qiao Yue's bold, confession-like bet had been driven by
genuine, unadulterated love at first sight.
Even now, she clearly hadn't entirely forgotten him. As Lorze ' s gaze uncontrollably
drifted over her form-fitting nurse's uniform, Qiao Yue couldn't stop her beautiful face
from flushing deeply.
"I'm genuinely surprised you recognized me,
" Lorze admitted.
He was literally wearing sunglasses, and no one else in the immediate vicinity had
spotted him. How had Qiao Yue identified him at a single glance just from his profile?
"You're currently the biggest celebrity in the country. How could a nobody like me dare
not recognize you?" Qiao Yue teased lightly.
Ever since the Torchic Challenger Tournament concluded, she had thrown herself
entirely into grueling academic studies. Even though she possessed Lorze ' s phone
number, she felt too embarrassed to call, restricting herself to silently following the news
surrounding him.
When the mysterious "Genius Researcher Lorze" abruptly exploded onto the Pokédex
platform, Qiao Yue instantly deduced it was him.
The subsequent Metropolitan Battle perfectly validated her hypothesis. But she truly
never anticipated that the boy who had once shared the same rookie stage with her
would so rapidly ascend to become a nationally renowned figure, even claiming the
undisputed title of the "Demon King" among their generation.
Whether in the scientific domain or the competitive Trainer arena, his name radiated an
intense, scorching brilliance—a brilliance so blinding she almost felt intimidated by it.
So much so that on multiple occasions, when she saw him achieve a new milestone and
wanted to call him just to offer congratulations, her courage would be instantly drowned
out by that overwhelming radiance.
Sometimes, even her college roommates couldn't stand watching her hesitate and tried
to snatch her phone to make the call for her, but she invariably stopped them out of
sheer embarrassment.
She had to admit, when it came to romance, she was incredibly timid. That impulsive
confession back on the battlefield had likely exhausted her entire lifetime's supply of
courage.
Life is always full of regrets. Lorze was already surrounded by so many incredible women;
why would he ever remember her?
For a time, Qiao Yue genuinely believed their paths had permanently diverged, leaving
behind nothing but a quiet regret.
Yet she never expected that during this Secret Realm internship orchestrated by her
family, she would miraculously run into him again.
Is this what they mean by 'that which is constantly in your thoughts will eventuallymanifest'?
"If the eldest daughter of the Qiao family is considered a 'nobody,
' then practically no
one on Earth has the right to call themselves a 'somebody,
' right?" Lorze chuckled
playfully.
"Please. What kind of 'eldest daughter' am I? I'm nothing more than a canary trapped in
a cage woven from so-called family interests. They explicitly vetoed my desire to pursue
the path of a Trainer, forcing me to spend all day memorizing medical tomes that literally
make my hair fall out just looking at them,
" Qiao Yue sighed helplessly.
"Perhaps that's the unavoidable tragedy of being born into an elite family. Speaking of
which, why are you stationed here?" Lorze asked, genuinely curious.
"Since summer vacation started, my family wanted me to come here and help out,
claiming it would give me a taste of what it's like to be utterly swamped with work,
" Qiao
Yue complained slightly.
"Then you truly have my sympathies. This is peak tourist season, isn't it?"
"Tell me about it... What about you? What brings you all the way out here? Are you here
to investigate the 'Legend of the Sun God' at Mt. Chimney, or are you hunting for that
mysterious Eevee?"
"Neither. I' m purely here to conduct specialized combat training. But regarding that
mysterious Eevee you mentioned—what exactly is that?" Lorze's curiosity was instantly
piqued.
He had caught wind of the "Legend of the Sun God" at Mt. Chimney. Rumor had it that
shortly after the Mt. Chimney Secret Realm initially fused with Blue Star, a Pokémon
radiating heat as intense as the sun had manifested there.
It used its blazing form to warm the wild Pokémon frozen stiff by a sudden severe frost,
before vanishing without a trace.
Many people theorized this entity was undeniably a Legendary lifeform possessing
power far beyond any ordinary Pokémon. Consequently, even to this day, countless
individuals relentlessly scoured the mountains searching for it, always returning
empty-handed.
This led a significant portion of the public to suspect the entire rumor was nothing more
than a fabricated marketing stunt engineered by the tourist board to drive traffic.
However, in Lorze ' s eyes, the legend was highly unlikely to be a fabrication. The
documented details perfectly aligned with a highly specific Pokémon in his memory.
Furthermore, that Pokémon genuinely qualified as a "Legendary existence"
—not in the
sense of a Mythical deity, but rather as a cultural, folkloric legend.
But even so, that didn't diminish its prestige or sheer, absolute dominance in the
slightest.
Volcarona!
An entity whose prestige often eclipsed even Sub-Legendaries, universally revered as the
literal incarnation of the Sun.
If the Legend of the Sun God proved authentic, even he felt the burning urge to hunt it
down. That Pokémon would be the absolute perfect candidate for his fourth roster slot!
Then there was the "mysterious Eevee" Qiao Yue mentioned. He was deeply curious as
to what could possibly be mysterious about an Eevee. Had a completely newevolutionary branch been discovered?
Could it be Sylveon?
Or perhaps an evolution branch even he didn't know about?
Regardless of what form it was, it seemed Little Ruo was going to lose her mind. She
absolutely adored Eevee.
"I actually have the video clip right here, though I have no idea if it's authentic. A lot of
people have been circulating it recently. Either way, I personally suspect it's highly likely
to be fake,
" Qiao Yue quickly pulled out her smartphone, opening a video of the wild
Eevee and handing it to Lorze.
Little Ruo, who had been waiting for Togepi's diagnostic to finish, immediately bolted
over. The second she heard the word "Eevee,
" her interest was utterly hooked.
In the footage, several Trainers were aggressively cornering a visibly injured Eevee. Just
as a Butterfree launched a Bug Net to ensnare it, the Eevee's body suddenly emitted a
chaotic, glitchy, pixelated radiance. It instantly evolved into a Flareon on the spot,
unleashing a Fire Spin to incinerate the net before continuing its desperate escape.
At that moment, a Hitmonchan lunged forward, executing a heavy punch. Unexpectedly,
the Eevee' s body flashed with that same chaotic Light of Evolution once more. This time,
it morphed into an Espeon, deploying Psychic to violently blast the Hitmonchan away.
It continued to wildly shape-shift while evading the pursuing Trainers. It wasn't until it
reached the edge of a lake that it rapidly transformed into a Vaporeon, utilizing Acid
Armor to seamlessly dissolve into the water and vanish.
The video abruptly ended there. Qiao Yue firmly believed the footage had to be a
doctored hoax orchestrated by someone with an agenda—highly likely the tourist board
pulling a desperate stunt to inflate ticket sales.
After all, what kind of Eevee could freely shift between its evolutionary forms at will?
Eevee inherently required Evolution Stones to permanently alter its form, didn't it?
However, Lorze harbored an entirely different perspective. Because he genuinely knew of
the existence of a highly specific Eevee capable of dynamically shifting its form based on
the elemental energy it utilized.
But logically, that Eevee shouldn't exist here. It was a biological byproduct of the artificial
Mewtwo cloning experiments— essentially a "failed prototype"
— discovered by the
protagonist in the Team Rocket base during the Pokémon Adventures manga series.
Could the Eevee in the video actually be that exact Team Rocket prototype?
But where the hell did it come from? Could an Ultra Wormhole have genuinely
manifested inside Mt. Chimney?
"The Eevee looks like it's in so much pain,
" Little Ruo said, her heart aching as she
watched the Eevee in the video visibly endure excruciating agony every time it forced a
transformation. She looked up at her brother with a deeply pitiful, pleading expression.
Lorze naturally understood what she was thinking. He immediately rubbed her tiny head
and said: "Alright, alright. If we actually run into it, I'll let you capture it.
"
That specific Eevee was indeed highly unique, but functionally, it was essentially just an
Eevee hardwired with the Protean Ability. He certainly wasn't going to fight his own sister
for it.
Conversely, his mind was currently far more intensely fixated on the potentiallynonexistent Volcarona. It seemed this expedition was going to be significantly busier
than he anticipated.
Chapter 204
In an instant, Lorze's operational objectives for Mt. Chimney had inexplicably expanded
by three.
Aside from overseeing the rigorous training schedules for Mawile and Ditto, he now had
to allocate time to hunt for Gardevoir's mother, track down the Team Rocket prototype
Eevee, and verify the existence of the legendary Volcarona.
Things suddenly got incredibly busy.
But being busy is a good thing!
"By the way, Qiao Yue, since you are a medical student, do you possess any
comprehensive understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?" Lorze asked
abruptly.
His mind was still heavily fixated on executing the "Microcosmic Orbit" circulation for his
True Qi Mode. To actualize that theoretical loop, he first needed to thoroughly map the
human body's meridian network and identify the functionally viable channels.
This was glaringly obviously not a task he could casually figure out on his own. He
desperately needed a trustworthy medical student to assist him.
As for Qiao Yue... her major was technically Pokémon Medicine. It wasn't guaranteed she
possessed any deep understanding of human anatomy, let alone TCM.
However, what Lorze didn't know was that Qiao Yue was deeply rebellious against her
family's arrangements. They demanded she inherit the family enterprise and become a
docile doctor, yet she stubbornly insisted on taking her Chansey to combat tournaments
to prove her worth as a Trainer.
When her family forcefully enrolled her in the Pokémon Medicine track, she retaliated by
deliberately majoring in archaic Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Therefore, Lorze's blind guess was actually a phenomenally lucky strike.
"TCM? I suppose you could say I have a decent grasp of it. Why do you ask?" Qiao Yue
inquired, highly curious. In this modern era, the demographic interested in archaic TCM
was exceedingly small, right?
"Sigh~
. Look at me, I'm getting old. I just wanted to look into some holistic health and
longevity practices,
" Lorze replied casually. He obviously couldn't openly declare he was
researching True Qi in a crowded public space, so he just threw out a random, bullshit
excuse.
Except... his excuse caused everyone in earshot to instantly break out in a cold sweat.
Getting old my ass! It's mathematically unverified whether you're even legally an adult
yet!
"Uh, well... although as a medical student I probably shouldn't say this, the vast majority
of those so-called 'holistic health regimens' on the market are essentially just idiot
taxes,
" Qiao Yue also wiped a drop of sweat from her brow, completely unable to
decipher what bizarre scheme he was plotting this time.
"It's fine. I just need to know exactly which specific meridian channels are functionally
responsible for nourishing the blood and amplifying Qi. Specifically the Qi amplification,
"Lorze clarified his request.
"Regarding the specific channels... I might need to wait until I get off my shift to consult
some reference texts to be absolutely certain,
" Qiao Yue couldn't guarantee she
remembered all of them perfectly off the top of her head.
"No problem. Let's add each other as friends on the Pokédex app while we're at it. I'll
eagerly await your good news. And of course, I won't let you work for free. These
Pokéblocks are highly specialized premium supplements I engineered. They haven't
been released to the public market yet; please accept a few boxes,
" Lorze pulled several
containers of Normal-type Pokéblocks from his tactical backpack and unceremoniously
shoved them into Qiao Yue's arms.
Qiao Yue instinctively tried to decline, only to realize her Chansey had already leaned in,
its eyes completely glued to the boxes.
And it wasn't just Chansey. As the rich, intoxicating aroma of the Pokéblocks diffused
through the lobby, numerous Normal-type Pokémon across the Pokémon Center locked
their ravenous, craving gazes onto them. Several hyper-social, adorable Pokémon had
even begun drooling uncontrollably as they swarmed closer.
Qiao Yue immediately comprehended the astronomical value of these cubes, instantly
wanting to instruct Chansey to secure them out of sight.
However, looking at the swarm of drooling, pitifully adorable Pokémon surrounding her,
she felt an intense wave of guilt about hoarding them all to herself. Left with no choice,
she meticulously distributed exactly one cube to each of them.
Consequently, Qiao Yue and the on-duty Pokémon Doctors witnessed an utterly
mind-boggling scene. Upon consuming the single cube, every single one of those
adorable Pokémon instantly cupped their cheeks, their eyes narrowing into slits of
absolute, euphoric bliss. They seemed to savor the aftertaste for an extended period,
before lunging forward to cling desperately to Qiao Yue's legs, their eyes begging for
more.
Qiao Yue was completely stupefied. Do Pokéblocks actually possess this level of
catastrophic biological attraction?
What the hell are the active ingredients?!
Did Lorze literally synthesize catnip into Pokémon food?!
It wasn't until the frantic Trainers rushed over, apologizing profusely as they physically
dragged their addicted Pokémon away, that Qiao Yue finally exhaled a slight sigh of relief.
She now fully comprehended the terrifying potency of Lorze's Pokéblocks.
Her curiosity was now burning at maximum intensity. What kind of chemical compound
could cause Pokémon to completely lose their minds like that? Was she absolutely
certain it didn't contain highly addictive narcotics?
If this is genuinely just a nutritional supplement... then perhaps my mother would be
incredibly interested in acquiring this formula...
In short, Lorze and Qiao Yue quickly exchanged contact info on the Pokédex app. Once
Togepi's medical diagnostic was completed, the two temporarily parted ways.
However, the second he attempted to exit the Pokémon Center, his identity was officially
compromised. A massive swarm of teenage girls instantly converged on his position,
frantically thrusting their phones out, begging to add him as a friend.If this were the past, Lorze would have absolutely accepted every single one of them
without missing a beat.
But now... just visualizing the towering queue of mother-daughter pairs waiting back
home made his head spin. He was already drowning in pussy; how the hell could he dare
blindly expand the harem?
Unless a target possessed supreme operational value or was breathtakingly, god-tier
gorgeous, he was currently operating in a state of absolute sexual apathy.
Therefore, Lorze merely offered them a polite, distant smile, gave a brief wave, and
instantly summoned Gardevoir to Teleport them out of the hot zone. He left the swarm of
girls sighing in profound disappointment, their gazes collectively snapping toward Qiao
Yue.
Speaking of which... didn't Qiao Yue just secure Researcher Lorze's contact info?
Stare——!
Qiao Yue: "
"
...
Don't look at me! My stomach hurts! I'm out!
...
Back inside the levitating "rollercoaster,
" having finalized all necessary preparations,
Lorze and his team resumed their flight deep into the Mt. Chimney Secret Realm.
During the flight, Little Ruo remained highly distracted, constantly staring out the window.
Lorze instantly knew she was agonizing over that specialized Eevee.
"Do you really want that Eevee that badly, Little Ruo?" Lorze asked.
"Mhm. I just wonder if it's okay right now,
" Little Ruo replied, her face etched with deep
anxiety.
"In that case, why don't we have Togepi help you find it?"
"Togepi?"
"Togepi is universally recognized as a symbol of absolute luck and happiness. Perhaps it
can bring you some good fortune~
"
.
"Is that true, Togepi?"
Little Ruo looked down at Togepi with intense curiosity. She had absolutely no idea
Togepi possessed any supernatural abilities; she just thought it was round and incredibly
cute.
"Chaka~ Chaka~ Pri!"
Togepi affectionately rubbed its face against Little Ruo' s chest, visibly adoring her. Then,
as if perfectly comprehending Lorze's suggestion, it suddenly leaped out of her arms
and began to earnestly sing an incomprehensible, melodic nursery rhyme just for her.
♪~♬~♫~♩~
As the song neared its conclusion, a cascade of warm, ethereal starlight suddenly
showered down upon Little Ruo.
Little Ruo felt incredibly amazed, hurriedly inspecting her own body. Though, it seemed
like absolutely nothing had changed...
"Togepi, was that a blessing just now?" Little Ruo asked eagerly.
"Chaka! Chaka~!" Togepi nodded cheerfully.
"That was likely Togepi's Wish move. In standard combat, it's utilized for delayed healthregeneration. However, perhaps Togepi's specific song imbued it with a unique
secondary effect? Why don't you try selecting a destination, Little Ruo?" Lorze
deliberately encouraged her to soothe her anxiety.
To be perfectly honest, he was entirely making it up. While he knew Togepi passively
generated good luck, functionally, it generally only manifested as keeping the Trainer
from experiencing catastrophic misfortune.
For instance, when rolling a gacha, you' d usually break even, ensuring you didn't just get
an endless string of "Try Again" tickets.
But to claim it could literally manifest whatever you desired into reality... Are you sure you
aren't looking for Jirachi?
That was what Lorze initially believed. But the exact microsecond Little Ruo pointed out
the window, stating she wanted to investigate the lake from the video, he realized just
how catastrophically naive he had been.
"Big Bro! Big Bro! Look down there!"
Little Ruo had been peering intently through the car window at the terrain below.
Miraculously, she actually spotted a Leafeon covertly absorbing sunlight on a rock right
next to the lake.
Lorze: "
"
...
Um... little Togepi... do you think you could maybe help me find that Volcarona? Oh, and
while you're at it, maybe locate Gardevoir's mother too?
Chapter 205
Through the car window, Lorze also spotted the Leafeon utilizing Synthesis to passively
regenerate its health. He just couldn't be absolutely certain whether it was genuinely the
Team Rocket prototype Eevee or not.
But he had to admit, it was an absolute tragedy that Little Ruo didn't buy lottery tickets.
Whatever she wished to see, she miraculously stumbled across.
Even if it was just an ordinary Leafeon, it was still an elite-tier Pokémon possessing a
Base Stat Total comparable to a fully evolved Starter.
"Big Bro! Big Bro!!!" Little Ruo stared at her brother in absolute ecstasy. She never
imagined that his claim about Togepi bringing good luck was actually true! Big Bro is so
amazing, he literally knows everything!
"Alright, alright. Let's maintain a safe distance and descend slowly. In a bit, synthesize a
few Grass-type Pokéblocks and see if you can bait it over,
" Lorze said, completely
unable to resist indulging her after seeing how overjoyed she was.
"Yay! I love you, Big Bro~!" Little Ruo cheered instantly. Sensing her euphoric emotional
waves, Togepi happily cheered right along with her.
What a pair of absolute goofballs.
Lorze quickly shushed them, instructing Gardevoir to land the vehicle perfectly within the
Leafeon's visual blind spot.
By the time they touched down, Little Ruo had utilized the miniaturized processor to
synthesize exactly ten premium Grass-type Pokéblocks. The car door slid open silently,
and Little Ruo, cradling Togepi, stepped out as quietly as possible. Gardevoir enveloped
them in her Telekinesis, smoothly and silently levitating them closer to the Leafeon'sperimeter.
The two goofballs dropped onto their stomachs, inching forward agonizingly slowly like
caterpillars. Their movements were incredibly stealthy, yet the hyper-vigilant Leafeon still
detected the disturbance. Its eyes snapped open, locking instantly onto them.
In a fraction of a second, Leafeon's entire body bristled like an agitated cat. Its fur stood
on end, and its eyes radiated a profound, deeply ingrained hatred toward humans. The
leaf-like blade on its tail instantly glowed with a sharp, verdant luminescence— the
explicit wind-up stance for a Leaf Blade strike.
Witnessing this, Lorze and the others went into immediate high alert. Gardevoir primed
Ally Switch, and Pheromosa looked ready to blitz forward and execute it.
From Pheromosa's perspective, the optimal operational protocol was simply to dash
over, violently kick the Leafeon into the dirt, and let Little Ruo toss a Poké Ball to capture
it. Why force the little girl to risk her life attempting physical contact? Wasn't this a
massive, unnecessary complication?
But Lorze obviously possessed his own tactical rationale.
First, this was the Pokémon Little Ruo desired; it was fundamentally better if she secured
the capture herself.
If Pheromosa essentially beat it into submission and forced the capture, the Eevee would
highly likely refuse to obey Little Ruo's commands in the future.
After all, anyone who watched Qiao Yue's video clip could deduce that this specific
Eevee harbored an apocalyptic level of resentment toward humanity.
In the original game lore, the Team Rocket Eevee was vehemently disobedient toward
the player at the start, precisely because it had been subjected to horrific, inhumane live
biological experimentation inside the Rocket base.
Therefore, the only viable pathway to truly securing this Eevee's loyalty was the classic,
time-tested strategy: melting its defenses with pure love.
This would simultaneously serve as the ultimate crucible to verify whether Little Ruo's
affinity was genuinely the Viridian Mind. Perhaps only that miraculous power possessed
the capacity to marginally lower the Eevee's absolute vigilance.
Naturally, Lorze wouldn't let his sister risk her life solely for a field test. Didn't he have
Gardevoir and Pheromosa operating as a flawless dual-layered safety net?
Backed by Pheromosa's near-teleportation velocity, an Elite-tier Leafeon wouldn't even
manage to complete the wind-up for its attack before being violently punted into orbit.
However, Lorze instructed Pheromosa to hold her position, ordering her to strike only if
the Leafeon definitively launched an attack.
"Hold for a moment.
"
Lorze said, his voice laced with undeniable tension. Despite his logical calculations, he
was genuinely terrified of a catastrophic variable. This concerned his sister's life, after all.
But with an Excellence-tier Togepi actively shielding her, tanking a single strike shouldn't
be an issue, right?
"Chaka~ Chaka~!"
Togepi actively engaged the Leafeon, vocalizing softly in a desperate attempt to
broadcast their peaceful intentions.
Little Ruo also recognized that the Eevee's vigilance was far too severe. Instead offorcing her approach, she gently placed the container of Grass-type Pokéblocks onto the
dirt, then slowly backed away with Togepi in her arms.
"Eevee, we don't mean you any
harm. We just saw that you were hurt and wanted to give you some food.
"
Under normal parameters, a Pokémon harboring that level of terminal hatred toward
humanity would absolutely never believe her bullshit.
But for some inexplicable reason, the moment Leafeon met the young girl's gaze— a
gaze so impossibly pure and entirely devoid of malice— the profound resentment
anchored deep within its soul seemingly softened. It inexplicably found itself unwilling to
launch a lethal strike against eyes that innocent.
As the girl slowly retreated, the sharp glow encasing Leafeon's tail gradually faded. The
hostility in its eyes diminished slightly, and its gaze inevitably drifted toward the container
of Grass-type Pokéblocks.
It could biologically sense that the box contained the exact nutritional energy it
desperately required to mend its wounds. Yet its fundamental distrust of humanity kept it
paralyzed, refusing to step forward.
The two sides remained locked in a tense, silent standoff for a full minute, until a sudden
male voice erupted from the adjacent brush, violently shattering the deadlock.
"Found it! Golbat, Air Cutter!"
SWISH!
The moment the voice dropped, a volley of invisible, razor-sharp blades of compressed
wind slashed violently out of the foliage, hurtling directly toward Leafeon!
It was glaringly obvious that other Trainers hunting the Eevee had arrived, instantly
obliterating the fragile truce Little Ruo had barely managed to establish.
Startled by the ambush, Leafeon frantically evaded the volley. In a flash, it transformed
back into a Vaporeon, diving headfirst into the depths of the lake and vanishing
completely.
Only the boulder Leafeon had been utilizing for its sunbath remained, sliced into several
clean chunks by the Air Cutter volley.
Witnessing this, Little Ruo panicked, desperately wanting to chase after the Eevee. But
faced with the fathomless, pitch-black depths of the lake, she was completely lost on
what to do.
"What are you doing?! You scared little Eevee away!" Little Ruo spun around, glaring
angrily at the intruder.
"Where the hell did this little brat come from? If you want to catch a Pokémon, you need
to strike fast. Nobody is going to hold back for you in the wilderness,
" the man frowned,
clearly annoyed by her presence. However, the moment he noticed the Togepi in her
arms, a flash of greed crossed his face, his gaze instantly turning highly predatory.
His eyes darted covertly around the perimeter, evidently scanning to confirm if anyone
else was in the vicinity.
It wasn't until he spotted several figures stepping out of the sedan parked a short
distance away that he clicked his tongue in deep frustration. He swiftly turned and
bolted.
Yes, bolted.
This sector was situated far beyond the public, external zones of Mt. Chimney. Generallyspeaking, unauthorized personnel were strictly prohibited from entering, yet numerous
tourists constantly attempted to smuggle themselves in.
If they were apprehended, they faced catastrophic fines.
That man had likely assumed Lorze—who possessed the clearance to actually drive a
vehicle into the sector—was an official government operative, and was instantly terrified
into retreating.
However, Lorze couldn't help but sigh at the profound darkness of human nature. If there
had truly been no one else around, that bastard absolutely intended to violently steal
Little Ruo's Pokémon.
The wilderness truly isn't a place just anyone can wander into. The most lethal predators
here are unequivocally greedy humans.
"Little Ruo, are you hurt?" Lorze quickly reached his sister's side, asking with deep
concern.
"I'm fine, but that bad man scared Eevee away.
" Little Ruo looked incredibly depressed,
completely oblivious to the fact that she had just been in mortal danger.
Her mind was too pure; her only concern was that since the Eevee had been frightened
off, she had no idea if she'd ever encounter it again.
"Don't worry too much. It will definitely reappear,
" Lorze comforted her.
In reality, the footage Qiao Yue showed him was recorded days ago. The fact that the
Eevee was still sunbathing here after all this time strongly indicated it had permanently
settled in this sector.
After all, the lake offered the absolute optimal sanctuary against predators. Vaporeon
possessed the biological capacity to seamlessly dissolve into water; once it dove
beneath the surface, tracking it became mathematically impossible.