Shen Yu, with her teacher, drove away into the night, leaving her to spend the coming days with two voracious young women who seemed to devour anything. Meanwhile, Xia Huanao, after stirring up trouble and acquiring a sum of money from Meng Tianya, took a stroll around the house he was staying in. "Is this what they call wealth?" he mused. "To have a private chef establishment in a prime location like Linglong City, and yet be able to afford a standalone property. Truly, I can’t envy it."
Shaking his head, Xia Huanao used his phone to order a plethora of miscellaneous items to be delivered to the Survivors’ secret base in Jinghai. After gleefully saving the payment confirmation screenshot, Xia Huanao almost slapped himself. "Damn it, how am I going to get all this?"
Indeed, he had been inexplicably brought from Jinghai City to Linglong City. How could he retrieve the items he’d left in Jinghai? Was he expected to travel back? With everyone out to get him, how could he possibly use public transportation? He certainly couldn't walk back; he'd be exhausted to death.
After much thought, Xia Huanao slapped his forehead. "If I ask Meng Tianya for a camper van, wouldn't that be too shameless?"
Xia Huanao pondered for a long time on the question of whether to ask Meng Tianya for a camper van, but ultimately did not speak. This was because, regardless of the method, he had to solve his accommodation problem for the night before a camper van could be obtained.
Finding a small motel, Xia Huanao sat and pondered his next plan while fiddling with his Poké Balls. From the very beginning, Xia Huanao knew there was more to his scapegoating than met the eye. Although the official explanation was that there were dissenting voices within the Pokémon League against him, and Ma Lanqi couldn't rule unilaterally, this reason didn't convince him. After all, he had been playing the "one-man show" card countless times along the way. Even if this was a Pokémon riot, he wouldn't have been banned. There had to be other reasons.
Furthermore, the decision regarding trainers had come out so quickly. Although he had been in the secret realm for a considerable time, with the League’s capabilities, diverting public attention wouldn't be particularly difficult. How could it be that after a week, he was still the subject of public outcry?
The more Xia Huanao thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss. He decided to stop thinking and get some sleep. Whatever happened, he’d deal with it tomorrow.
A night passed. Xia Huanao pushed open the window of his room and looked down. Below, a camper van was parked obediently by the roadside. Xia Huanao smiled, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed downstairs. After checking out of his room, Xia Huanao approached the camper van and saw a key with a pink rabbit head charm sticking out of the door.
"No wonder it looks so familiar. It's Sister Linglong’s camper van. She's quite generous."
Xia Huanao opened the door, got in, and bumped along as he left Linglong City. Fortunately, he didn’t encounter any traffic police, or there would have been trouble. As soon as the camper van reached the outskirts, Xia Huanao tinkered with the automatic driving system, set the destination to Jinghai City, and then reviewed his current lineup. "Hmm, Quaquaval, Indeedee, Brindilla, Infernape, Shedinja. Right, what Pokémon is in this sixth Poké Ball? I battled with it this week, yet it’s so forgettable?"
The Poké Ball shook twice, and a Breloom popped out, looking tearfully at Xia Huanao, its eyes filled with a sense of grievance. Xia Huanao clapped his hands. "Ah, yes, yes, you too. I knew there was a name on the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't recall it."
Xia Huanao, completely disregarding Breloom’s feelings, made the Pokémon so angry it wanted to punch him to make him more aware.
"Hmm, should I expand my team configuration? Although a trainer can only bring six Poké Balls out, Simipour and Breloom overlap to some extent."
Xia Huanao’s words caused the Simipour, who had been leisurely chilling in its Poké Ball, to leap out and mime a four-handed performance to Xia Huanao, indicating its many hands and usefulness. Meanwhile, the Breloom, seizing the opportunity of the four-handed performance, landed a punch on Simipour. With the Fighting-type’s super effective attack against Normal-types, a single blow made Simipour question its very existence. Seeing that the two newcomers were about to fight, Xia Huanao lightly tapped his Poké Balls. "Ahem."
The two Pokémon immediately became well-behaved. They exchanged glances, then sat obediently on the side, engaging in a staring contest. Xia Huanao tore off a piece of paper. "Hmm, in the upcoming plans, Quaquaval is essential…"
As Xia Huanao scribbled and drew, the subsequent team configuration gradually took shape. Quaquaval couldn't be relegated to the sidelines; he relied on Quaquaval for protection. Forgetting Quaquaval would truly make progress impossible. Shedinja, as the ultimate tank, was also an indispensable teammate. Although Xia Huanao felt Shedinja's purpose was becoming increasingly tangential, making the best use of its abilities was all that mattered.
Indeedee, Indeedee was so cute, why wouldn't he bring her along? In Xia Huanao’s team, she was the only female, incredibly pampered. Even if she had no combat power, Xia Huanao wouldn’t relegate her to the sidelines. Moreover, Indeedee was the primary combat force after Quaquaval and could Mega Evolve.
Counting it out, that only left Infernape, Simipour, and Breloom.
Since arriving, Simipour had been characterized by its voracious appetite. As for its special abilities, well, it dug holes very quickly. In a pinch, it could be used as a drill.
"A drill? Wouldn't Excadrill be more effective?"
The system interjected unexpectedly. Xia Huanao actually considered it. "Hmm, Excadrill? Although Excadrill is indeed an excellent digger, where does its drill-like head compare to how good-looking my Simipour is?"
System: ...Damn it, I forgot this guy was a sucker for aesthetics.
Having decided on Infernape’s position, Xia Huanao looked at Simipour and Breloom again. "So, your roles are quite awkward. Who will voluntarily withdraw?"
Breloom and Simipour exchanged glances. Neither intended to leave Xia Huanao’s team. Sparks flew between their gazes, and the system, observing the two Pokémon eager to battle, asked Xia Huanao, "So, what kind of Pokémon do you want, my esteemed client?"
Hearing this term, Xia Huanao felt very pleased. The words "esteemed client" were perfectly to his liking.
"In that case, shall I be an arbitrary and reckless esteemed client?"
Xia Huanao stroked his chin in thought, while the system shook its head. "That has nothing to do with me. I mean, why don't you go find Rotom? He always has a way to satisfy the esteemed client's requirements."
Xia Huanao agreed, finding it very logical. Rotom had to be used frequently; otherwise, it would break down. However, just as he was about to "consult" his classmate Rotom, Breloom and Simipour, sitting nearby, could no longer suppress their inner frenzy and were about to start fighting. Xia Huanao grabbed the scruffs of their necks and tossed them out of the car. "You two can fight outside. Don't wreck the car; it's quite expensive."
Thus, Xia Huanao, the scoundrel client, forced the hapless乙方 (second party/contractor) Rotom to go online. Xia Huanao extended his sinful left hand, holding the Rotom Dex, and dangled it. "So, Rotom, based on my description, select the Pokémon I desire."
Rotom had initially wanted to watch the battle between the four-armed monkey and the hat grass but was subjected to misfortune. It heard Xia Huanao babbling, "First, I need one that can teleport. That skill is really useful for escaping."
Hearing Xia Huanao’s statement, Rotom began switching its screen, displaying dozens of options. Xia Huanao thought for a moment and added, "Next, I need one that can fly."
Rotom paused. The system asked, "What's the use of a flying Pokémon? High-altitude reconnaissance? It’s meaningless."
Xia Huanao was about to explain when he saw Rotom presenting the answer: Natu, Butterfree, Dustox, and Magnemite. Xia Huanao looked at these four options and shook his head. "No, no. Although these options can fly, none of them can carry me."
The system was dumbfounded. "What? Carry you? Holy crap, you're not that afraid of death, are you? Teleportation isn't enough; you want to fly away too?"
"What if I get banned? When you're out and about, you have to think ahead. If I didn't have limited space, I'd want a Pokémon that runs fast on four legs."
The system looked disgusted. "Based on your logic, shouldn't you also want a Pokémon that can go underwater? Land, sea, and air travel is the most secure way of life!"
Xia Huanao thought, "That's right! If I encounter a water battle or the Titanic, I'll need swimming ability too, not just rely on Quaquaval's Surf."
"Well, you're a truly wicked client. If Rotom attacks you in the middle of the night, I won't be responsible."
Thus, the scoundrel client Xia Huanao proposed a Pokémon amendment to Rotom. For this land, sea, and air escape vehicle, a tricky problem that even the system struggled with, the clever Rotom only thought for a moment before presenting an impeccable answer.
Xia Huanao looked at the Pokémon Rotom displayed and frowned slightly, seeming not entirely satisfied. "Ditto? This thing is useful, but it'll take too long to train it for amphibious capabilities. I might not have that much time."
Rotom flickered, and with a crackling sound of electricity, another Pokémon appeared on the screen.
"Hmm, Mew, my little cutie? That's a good idea. I need to check if I have a Master Ball."
As soon as he finished speaking, an unhappy voice came from behind him. "No Master Ball, but I have a Spere Ball. Do you want it?"
Xia Huanao reacted quickly, raising his hands. "Sister Meng, good afternoon, Sister Meng. I didn't say anything just now."
"Is that so? I clearly heard you talking about making a move on Mew, my little cutie. Did I hear wrong?"