Just as excitement began to surface on Ah Hui's face, Chen Mo's next words plunged everyone's mood straight back into the depths.
"However, although Caterpie has now escaped the danger zone, the congenital deficiencies caused by its birth can't be made up for with medicine."
"How could that be…"
Ah Hui looked unsettled as he turned to Chen Mo, completely at a loss.
"Then, Brother Mo… what needs to be done to fully cure Caterpie?"
"I'm not entirely sure about that either. But you don't need to worry too much. The effects of congenital weakness will just make Caterpie's body a bit weaker than other normal Caterpie, and it may also have some impact on its evolution."
Chen Mo gently patted Ah Hui on the shoulder.
"But Pokémon are, by nature, creatures full of miracles. Since a miracle has already happened once, who's to say it won't happen again in the future?"
"..."
After a moment of silence, Ah Hui's expression gradually became resolute.
"I understand. Until then, I'll take good care of it."
The other two nearby exchanged hesitant looks when they heard Ah Hui say this.
Especially the flat-headed youth—he wanted to ask whether Ah Hui planned to raise this magical beast himself. But when he thought about what had happened earlier, the words reached his lips only to be swallowed back down.
Chen Mo, however, had no such reservations and asked directly and bluntly,
"Ah Hui, are you planning to adopt this Caterpie?"
"Of course I—"
Ah Hui suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
He thought about Caterpie's origins. No matter how you looked at it, their group of thieves wasn't suitable to raise Caterpie. It should return to where it truly belonged.
But…
At that moment—
The Caterpie lying on the blanket suddenly let out a series of pitiful cries.
Ah Hui's expression changed.
Chen Mo, on the other hand, wasn't flustered at all. He calmly said,
"No need to panic. Why don't you go to the backyard and see if you can pick some fresh leaves? I'll get it some berries first to fill its stomach."
"Brother Mo, you mean… Caterpie's hungry?"
"Obviously. Try not eating for several days yourself."
Ah Hui scratched his head and was just about to head toward the backyard when the girl beside him tugged at the flat-headed youth with a look of disgust and stepped forward.
"We'll go too."
—
The three of them searched the backyard for fresh leaves, their silence making them seem like complete strangers.
After giving the flat-headed youth several meaningful glances that were completely ignored, Xiao Cai felt a headache coming on. She sighed deeply to herself and was just about to break the awkward atmosphere—
When an unusual sound suddenly came from overhead.
In a place none of them had noticed.
Inside the pond.
A red, strange fish poked its head out of the water and looked toward a certain spot in the sky.
"That is…?"
The three of them looked up almost in unison and quickly noticed it as well.
Under the moonlight, a black dot in the sky rapidly expanded, growing larger and closer.
"Pii—!"
With a crisp, piercing cry, a gigantic bird-like creature beat its enormous wings, blotting out the moonlight as it circled above the courtyard.
The sight froze Xiao Cai and the flat-headed youth in place. The same thought surfaced in their minds at the same time.
We're dead…
But at that very moment, Ah Hui stepped directly in front of them and, under their terrified and incredulous gazes, casually greeted the terrifying creature above.
"Good evening, Pidgeotto."
Having noticed Ah Hui long ago and understanding his intent, Pidgeotto showed no particular wariness. It merely glanced at the two unfamiliar humans, then tilted its head and let out a low call toward its back.
The next second—
A small yellow figure leapt off Pidgeotto's back and landed steadily in the courtyard.
Facing the three humans, each with a different expression, the small yellow Pokémon tilted its head in confusion.
"Pichu?"
At the same time—
Sensing the commotion in the courtyard, Chen Mo, while feeding Caterpie berries, carried it outside in his arms.
Seeing Pichu and Pidgeotto return safely, the weight that had been hanging in his heart finally eased.
Given the current situation, Chen Mo merely shot the two Pokémon—one big and one small—a fierce glare for their unauthorized outing.
The meaning was obvious.
We'll settle accounts later!
Noticing Chen Mo's "ferocious" gaze, Pichu's expression instantly changed. Its body tensed up, and it scrambled forward with both hands and feet, rushing toward Chen Mo.
However, Chen Mo sidestepped and avoided it.
"Pichu~"
Knowing it had done something wrong, Pichu slowly walked up to Chen Mo, grabbed his pant leg with its tiny paws, and gently shook it, putting on an extremely cute expression in an attempt to muddle through.
"Too late. I'm very angry right now. The consequences are serious."
Chen Mo didn't fall for it at all. He deliberately turned his head away, while Pichu stubbornly continued trying to prove that it had deeply recognized its mistake.
This interaction between one human and one Pokémon left Xiao Cai and the flat-headed youth completely stunned.
A magical beast… and a human?
Before coming here, they had only heard Ah Hui mention that someone called "Brother Mo" could save Caterpie. As for what kind of person this "Brother Mo" actually was, they knew nothing at all.
Based on Chen Mo's earlier display—his understanding of Caterpie and his methods of treatment—they had initially judged that this "Brother Mo" must be someone from the Magical Beast Research and Countermeasures Bureau. After all, it wasn't exactly a secret in their circles that the Bureau had sent a group of people to Anping City.
But now, it seemed that even people from the Bureau couldn't do something like this.
Xiao Cai stared at the young man playing with the yellow mouse-like Pokémon, feeling as though she had seen him somewhere before.
Just then—
Ah Hui's voice rang out again.
"Brother Mo, are these leaves enough?"
"Still a bit short. Caterpie's species has an extremely strong appetite in its newborn stage—it can eat over a hundred leaves a day."
"I understand. I'll go to the woods outside and pick some more right now."
"Hey, since Pidgeotto is already back, there's no need to go through that trouble."
After a round of soft coaxing, Pichu finally returned to its familiar, comfortable position.
Under Xiao Cai's gaze, Chen Mo—with the small yellow Pokémon perched on his shoulder—shifted his eyes toward the gigantic bird resting in the tree outside the wall.
"Pidgeotto, sorry to trouble you. Use Gust to blow some fresh leaves into the courtyard."
"Pii!"
At the young man's command, the Pidgeotto that had been resting with its eyes closed opened them. It spread its wings and let out a clear, ringing cry. With a gentle flap, a fierce wind rose up. Trees swayed violently, and countless leaves were precisely carried by the wind into the courtyard, piling up together.
🌟 Early access (60+ chapters ahead): [email protected]/plotwired💬 10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter🔷 100 Power Stones = Another🔥 You decide how fast the story unfolds.