Under the expectant gazes of his relatives, Zhao Xuan—clad in his rugged camouflage gear—leaped down from Corviknight's back while holding Li Yunjie. He landed steadily on the ground, a surge of warmth filling his heart as he looked at his family.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm back."
He set Li Yunjie down, and she obediently chimed in, "Grandpa, Grandma!"
"Good, good. It's good to have you back." Grandpa Xu nodded at Yunjie before stepping up to Zhao Xuan. He looked the boy up and down, patting his shoulder and repeating the word "good" three times, his excitement clearly visible.
"Move over, you old man! Let me get a proper look at my grandson." Grandma Xu pushed Grandpa Xu aside and hurried toward Zhao Xuan, her eyes full of concern. "My dear boy, let Grandma see if you're hurt."
When she spotted the bandages wrapped around his shoulder, her face contorted with distress. "Oh dear, how did you get hurt? Does it hurt much, my boy?" She looked as pained as if she were the one injured.
Zhao Xuan didn't show the slightest impatience. Instead, he explained calmly, "Don't worry, Grandma. These are just light scratches. They'll be healed in a few days."
"That's a relief, that's a relief..." Grandma Xu muttered repeatedly.
"Alright, old woman. Let's save the talk for later. Let Xiao Xuan go wash up first," Grandpa Xu intervened.
Grandma Xu snapped out of it and nodded vigorously. "Right, right! Go take a shower, grandson. Grandma bought your favorite shrimp. I'm going to make sure you're well-fed tonight. Look at you, you've gotten so thin."
Losing weight was inevitable. Between fighting off Magic Beasts in the Secret Realm, there was hardly time for proper meals; most of the time, he survived on dry rations and biscuits just to keep going.
"I know, Grandma," Zhao Xuan nodded.
He then turned to the other five family members, greeting them with a bright smile. "Aunt Mengxin, Uncle Li Lin, Aunt Meng'an, Uncle Haowen, and Xiongxiong—it's been a long time."
"Hahaha! You've done us proud, kid. I'm honored to call you my nephew!" Jia Haowen, known for his boisterous personality, let out a hearty laugh. He thought highly of Zhao Xuan; becoming an Elite-rank Trainer at such a young age meant the boy had a limitless future, provided he stayed safe.
Haowen himself had once dreamed of being a Trainer, but as the only son with elderly parents to support, he had chosen the path of business instead. Though he was now quite successful, he still carried a trace of regret regarding his abandoned dream.
"Xiao Xuan, it's just good to see you home safe," Li Lin said softly as he walked over. Unlike the boisterous Haowen, Li Lin was a refined, gentle man, but his words were heavy with genuine care.
"You should spend some quality time with your grandparents now that you're back," Xu Mengxin added. "They've barely been able to eat or sleep while you were away."
"I won't say much else, Xiao Xuan. Welcome home," Xu Meng'an said with a gentle, graceful smile.
"I will. Thank you," Zhao Xuan replied. Seeing his family's genuine concern, he felt deeply moved, though he only gave a firm nod to show he understood.
"Cousin!! Cousin, what about me?" Xiongxiong's high-pitched voice piped up as he finally squeezed his way through to the front of the group.
"Haha, I didn't forget you. When I have time, I'll take you for a ride on Corviknight," Zhao Xuan said, chuckling as he ruffled the young boy's hair.
Xiongxiong started jumping for joy. "You promised! No take-backs!"
"Alright, you little rascal, move aside and let your cousin go get cleaned up," Xu Mengxin scolded her son playfully.
The courtyard erupted in laughter. For a moment, the air was filled with pure joy. It wasn't just here; all across the Yanhuwa Republic, families were basking in the warmth of reunions.
The Family Dinner
As night fell, the courtyard remained lively. On the open ground, Corviknight was joined by two other Pokémon, all three enjoying their respective meals.
One was a Pokémon with grey skin and bulging, powerful muscles. It wore a golden power-limit belt and featured black markings resembling briefs around its waist. Its arms were marked with six red grooves, and its lizard-like face sat beneath three tile-like ridges on its head. This was Jia Haowen's starter, a Machoke, which currently held an Advanced Rank. Haowen simply lacked the time to train it properly; otherwise, it would have surely reached the Elite Rank by now.
The other was Xu Meng'an's Beautifly, also at the Advanced Rank. In this large family, only these two possessed starters; the others had never managed to summon one. Li Yunjie, for instance, had been heartbroken for a long time over her failure to manifest a Pokémon.
Meng'an and Li Lin had considered buying a Pokémon egg for their daughter, but the market prices had silenced them. Even a low-potential egg for a Caterpie, Weedle, or Rattata cost 500,000 to 600,000—a staggering sum for a working-class couple to spend on what would essentially be a pet with little combat potential. Knowing her parents' financial situation, Yunjie had never made a scene about it.
"Xiao Xuan, it's a shame you were in the Secret Realm last month," Jia Haowen said, taking a sip of wine as they ate. "Shanghai held a massive tournament, and the grand prize was an Onix egg with Gym-level potential."
"Exactly, Brother! If you hadn't been away, that trophy would have definitely been yours," Li Yunjie added supportively. She had watched the tournament herself, but in her heart, the winner didn't hold a candle to her brother.
"That's true," Li Lin chimed in. "If you had participated, you would have won for sure. An Onix is a great Pokémon to raise; it would have solved the problem of your second Pokémon."
The topic of Zhao Xuan's second Pokémon was a sensitive one for the family. In the past, they had tried to pool their money to buy him a Charmander, but Zhao Xuan had flatly refused. He told them that even if they bought it, he would return it. Everyone knew he was a man of his word, so they eventually dropped the subject.
It wasn't that Zhao Xuan didn't want a Charmander; it was that he knew buying one would drain the life savings of the entire extended family. He couldn't accept that. If an Elite-rank Pidgey egg was worth ten million, one could only imagine the price of a Charmander.
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