Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
Afternoon.
After returning to the Youth Training Camp, emotions ran high once again.
Everyone then packed their things and headed home. They could stay in touch on the WeChat Group if needed.
As for the points, they had long been spent. Even Song Jie had exchanged his for a bunch of odd items.
Whether they'd be useful was secondary.
The start date for Mist City University was at the end of February next year. This meant Li Xiang had nearly six months of free time with no idea where to go.
He'd probably just stay home and focus on training his Pokémon. Or... maybe take a solo trip somewhere to relax?
A week off or something.
Dragging his luggage, he felt somewhat lost. Sometimes, having too long a vacation wasn't a good thing.
.....
August.
Jiang Shangrong had led the Yuzhou team to advance from the divisional level and was now striving to reach the top of the regional rankings.
This also meant Li Xiang couldn't go to her for any special training sessions.
He'd have to focus on getting the shiny Metang to evolve first.
Li Xiang glanced at the simple-minded Metang carrying the luggage and silently made up his mind.
Currently, the highest-level Pokémon on the team was still Corviknight, at Level 48.
Next were Incineroar, Riolu, and Rotom, all at Level 46. Then Greninja at Level 45.
Finally, the shiny Metang at Level 42, still unevolved.
Without a doubt, the leveling progress of the main five had slowed to a crawl. From gaining twenty levels a year initially, to twelve levels a year, and now just seven or eight levels a year.
Especially after Level 40, the progress had become worryingly slow.
Even with all the high-quality resources and top-tier Breeder support, it was still like this.
If Song Jie's progress hadn't been similar, and if Pokémon leveling in this world didn't have an experience bar or even a clear pattern, he'd have thought he was being singled out.
"I hope things speed up once we get to Mist City."
Li Xiang sighed and tapped Metang's iron head.
"Metang?"
Metang looked at him confused.
"Nothing."
Li Xiang waved it off.
....
Back home.
The house was, of course, empty. Cat and dog fur, however, was everywhere—on the floor, the sofa... tiny strands all over. Too many fur-producing creatures lived here.
Releasing Incineroar and the others, Li Xiang collapsed onto the sofa and let out a long breath.
He felt strangely liberated.
Metang floated upstairs with the luggage. As the junior member, doubling as transport, luggage carrier, and the straightforward one, it was always the go-to for manual labor.
Plus, its psychic waves could handle delicate tasks.
Rotom followed behind; it planned to take over the home computer. It had seen some interesting things and wanted to look them up.
Corviknight hopped around before settling onto a soft mat in the corner of the living room. The late-night concert by the great singer had left it sleep-deprived.
An urgent nap was needed to recover.
Incineroar yawned, opened the fridge with one hand, grabbed some MooMoo Milk, tossed a bottle to Riolu, popped the cap open, and plopped down beside Li Xiang, gulping it down.
Up front, Greninja turned on the TV, switched to its favorite spy thriller channel, then leaped gracefully onto the back of the sofa, crouching down with narrowed eyes.
"Hey—where's mine?"
Li Xiang cracked an eye open and saw Incineroar lounging with one leg crossed, drinking milk like it was beer. He wasn't pleased.
"Riolu!"
Riolu's cry sounded beside him.
He turned to see Riolu holding up a bottle of milk, looking at him expectantly.
"Thanks~"
Li Xiang smiled, took a sip, and handed it back. "You're the one with a conscience."
Incineroar snorted dismissively.
'You don't even like milk—stop being so dramatic. One of these days, I'll tell Mrs. Yin on you!'
Despite the indignation, everyone felt a bit down.
Knowing they couldn't return to the Youth Training Camp left a void, as if something was missing.
"Maybe I should call the principal and ask if we can start early."
Li Xiang muttered.
Bai Wanhua had given him her private number and said he could contact her for any requests.
"Roar!" _(ツ)_/ 'No objections.'
"Riolu!" (〃'▽'〃) 'No objections here either!'
"Ninja." ヽ( ̄▽ ̄) 'Whatever.'
"Caww." (≧≦*) 'So fragrant.'
Huh?
Li Xiang turned and saw Corviknight drooling in its sleep. He shook his head and turned back.
"Just kidding. We should take a month or two off, wait until November or December."
Even if he was anxious internally, he couldn't show it on the surface.
'Step by step, step by step. Sustainable development, sustainable development.'
After chanting the "Don't Rush" mantra, Li Xiang felt much calmer. Even Red had his lazy moments. Throughout the year, Incineroar and the others needed their rest too.
'Speaking of which, what time is it?'
He checked his watch and saw it was exactly 2:30 PM. He thought about heading to the Dojo.
"Anyone want to go to the Dojo?"
Li Xiang called out, waking a certain sleeping bird.
The latter shot him an annoyed look, regretting that it was only half a meter away from that golden fruit in its dream. It figured if it went back to sleep now, it might still get to eat it.
Corviknight closed its eyes again.
As for Li Xiang, after asking around, only Incineroar and Riolu were willing to go. The others wanted to stay home.
Greninja was also at a thrilling part of the show and didn't want to leave.
"Alright, we're off."
Li Xiang called out before heading out with the cat and dog.
There was no dedicated car for transportation. He'd have to take the bus or subway.
Probably the subway—he'd hardly ridden it since coming to this world.
...
In front of the subway station.
Crowds of people and Pokémon moved through the deep underground passage.
As a human-oriented mode of transport, the subway had its own set of rules, such as size restrictions, type restrictions, etc.
Incineroar just barely qualified to ride, as long as it wore a heat-insulating cover over its belt.
"Missed the rush hour."
Li Xiang felt relieved seeing the relatively uncrowded station.
This world was ultimately different from his previous one. Here, Zhu Xia could be considered vast and sparsely populated. Despite holding vast territories, it had just over 200 million people.
With land usage not drastically different, the outskirts of cities felt oddly spacious.
It felt like a scene from a game.
Of course, this was only true outside peak hours. If you picked an inconvenient time to ride, you'd still be packed like sardines—maybe even worse.
After all, Pokémon rode the subway too.
Case in point: Several Mightyena now lounged near Li Xiang, their sleek fur majestic and beautiful, panting with their tongues out.
A few Poochyena played around them, looking adorable.
Their trainer—
The trainer wasn't around. They had tags.
Li Xiang glanced at the tags on their chests. Pokémon were allowed to move independently in the city but needed to wear tags.
Untagged Pokémon were like dogs without leashes in his previous life. And since the trainer wasn't here, maybe he could pet them?
After a moment's hesitation, under Incineroar's disdainful gaze, Li Xiang approached the Mightyena.
"Hello there."
He waved from two meters away.
The Mightyena glanced at him but didn't react. The Poochyena, however, were attracted and trotted over.
Li Xiang immediately crouched, watching the Mightyena, and slowly reached out.
If they didn't want to be petted, he'd stop.
Thankfully, they allowed it. When Li Xiang touched the Poochyena, the Mightyena just glanced at him.
The so-called "grass is always greener on the other side." After petting Incineroar and Riolu so much, a change of pace was good for mental health.
Unlike Riolu's smooth fur, Poochyena's fur was a bit fluffy and rough. A different texture, quite interesting.
On a whim, Li Xiang unleashed his "18 Petting Techniques," reducing the Poochyena to wriggling messes on the ground.
It drew sidelong glances from passersby.
Behind him, Riolu facepalmed, looking helpless. Incineroar also side-eyed Li Xiang with utter disdain.
Soon, the subway arrived slowly, but it wasn't the one Li Xiang needed.
The largest Mightyena stood up and growled softly. The Poochyena in front of Li Xiang immediately got up and ran over.
"Goodbye."
Li Xiang waved as the pack of silver-gray dogs boarded the train.
'Pokémon living and moving freely in the city alongside humans. What a beautiful scene.'
He returned to Incineroar and Riolu, grinning. "I'm back!"
"Roarr."
Incineroar rolled its eyes. Riolu, however, jumped onto Li Xiang's shoulder and hugged his head.
It loved being up high to see far.
The small Riolu had always enjoyed doing this.
...
Dojo.
Despite being close to the commercial district, the streets here were nearly empty. The gate was wide open as usual, and shouts and explosive sounds came from inside.
Li Xiang stepped in and saw Fourth Brother Duan Yu practicing on the Seven-Step Stakes.
"Huh? Senior, didn't you go to cram school?"
He stared blankly at Duan Yu.
The 18-year-old fourth brother was striving to get into Tiandu Medical University.
"The exams are over. That was ages ago."
Duan Yu looked surprised. "Didn't Lu Chengfeng tell you? We even had a celebration dinner."
'Did he...? Ah.'
So that group dinner at the hotel half a month ago was Duan Yu's celebration.
"Fifth Brother didn't tell me at all... Whatever, it doesn't matter. Congrats, Senior!"
Li Xiang smiled and congratulated him repeatedly.
"Likewise, likewise. Weren't you interviewing today? How did it go?"
Duan Yu asked in return. "Oh, and the master is waiting for you."
"I got into Mist City University. The master is waiting for me?" Li Xiang paused, then hurried inside.
Had he drunk too much at lunch? His brain wasn't working right.
Getting into a higher education institution was important—of course he had to tell the master. Good thing he'd decided to come to the Dojo.
Li Xiang felt a mix of relief and guilt.