You are not allowed to be a Pokémon Trainer!

Chapter 109 My Recommendation for Ponpo! (4.5k words, 10k words completed in one day!)

"Speaking of which, what exactly is the [Tree of Life] described in the Six Herbs Bonds section?"

Xia Chi asked Tongzi in his mind, "I have a chance to use it now, so why couldn't you tell me in advance?"

Curiosity was one reason, but another important reason was naturally to prepare for war.

The so-called knowing oneself and the enemy will never end in a hundred battles.

Xia Chi could see right through Tao Dailang and Sanbaoban's abilities.

On the contrary, Xia Chi was still unclear about his own strength.

Perhaps finding Xia Chi's words reasonable, Tongzi finally stopped being a riddle-maker this time.

[Within the area covered by the Tree of Life, Bonded Spirits gain the following buffs: Recover 3% HP per second, cannot be afflicted by any abnormal statuses, and all attribute stats are increased by 20%! Furthermore, all friendly units gain one instance of "Immunity to Death."]

Tongzi added: "[The buff's value is positively correlated with the spirit's strength; this is the effect of the Six Herbs bond triggered by the Evil Spirit.]"

Wow, that's pretty strong!
Xia Chi was startled.

The Six Herbs Bond is already very strong; after 200 seconds, it grants a 200% increase in physical attack, physical defense, and health.

The buffs from this Tree of Life are ridiculously strong: high recovery, immunity to status ailments, and a boost to all attributes.

They even included a bonus message: "Hang in there!"

Hey, wait.

Doesn't the last half of the description sound a bit strange?
Xia Chi pondered and asked, "Friendly units... does that mean even Pokémon without Grass-type bonds can gain this [Lethal Immunity] protection?"

【Yes. 】

Xia Chi had a sudden inspiration and opened up a line of thought: "Do friendly units include trainers?"

This amazing shift in thought actually stumped Brother Tongzi.

It took a full half minute to give its answer.

[The bag]

Xia Chi was overjoyed. "Thanks, Brother Tong! May you live forever, and may you never perish as long as the Great Dao exists!"

[At least they're showing some sincerity.]

Having ended her emotional exchange with Brother Tongzi, Xia Chi felt much more at ease.

Now the biggest problem I was worried about in the big battle with Sanbaoban has been solved.

What are the most feared things to encounter in field combat?
Of course, it's a direct attack on the trainer that shows no regard for martial ethics.

With the protection of the Tree of Life, Xia Chi, who had no ability to protect himself, now had ample security.

Mom no longer has to worry about my safety!
------

In high spirits, Xia Chi hummed a little tune and soon led the four elves to the resort's buffet restaurant.

It was breakfast rush hour, and the restaurant was quite crowded.

This was the first time in many years that Egui Peng had seen so many people.

The psychological shadow of being hated and feared by the people of Beishang Township resurfaced in his mind.

Ponpo covered her face with a mask and instinctively hid behind Xia Chi, burying her head in her lower back and wrapping her little arms tightly around his thighs.

Xia Chi wasn't from Super True New Town, and with eighty pounds of weight strapped to his leg, he really couldn't walk.

He could only squat down and say helplessly, "It's okay, Ponpo. They're different from the people from Beishang Township. They won't have that kind of feeling towards you."

The resort at this time is mostly filled with "protagonists" from other regions. Their personalities may vary, but their character and love for elves are beyond question.

If they knew about Ponpo's past, Xia Chi's "anti-northern movement" army might gain another batch of strong forces.

Upon hearing this, Ergui Peng cautiously raised his head and quietly observed the people and elves passing by, discovering that it was indeed so.

Half of them didn't even notice them, while the other half were looking at them with curiosity and inquiry.

They weren't at all as disgusting as I had imagined.

Xia Chi patted her head and said softly, "Don't worry, Ponpo, with me here, no one will dare to bully you anymore."

Beneath the mask of the evil spirit, his starry eyes welled up with tears again, and he choked out, "Boni."

Xia Chi smiled slightly. This was no legendary elf; she was clearly just a cute little girl who loved to cry.

Tire Cat, standing to the side, glanced speechlessly at Egui Peng, who was snuggling in Xia Chi's arms, and pouted.

Indeed, one's appearance reflects one's inner self; color and personality are a perfect match.

Damn green tea!
"Hey, Xia Chi, Tire Meow, are you here for breakfast too?"

A familiar voice came from beside me.

Tire Cat turned her head and met Zi Yu's sweet and lovely smile.

Hmph, another hypocrite has appeared!

Tire Cat, in a bad mood, started attacking indiscriminately.

However, it still politely greeted Ziyu, "Meowti!"

Xia Chi smiled and replied, "Good morning, Senior Ziyu."

When Xia Chi stood up, Zi Yu noticed that the Egui Pong only reached Xia Chi's waist.

A child? Or an elf I've never seen before?
Because she was wearing a mask, Zi Yu couldn't be easily seen.

She asked curiously, "What is this?"

Xia Chi smiled slightly: "The elf we were discussing the other day."

Zi Yu exclaimed in surprise, "Is it the [ghost] from the legends of Beishang Township?"

Xia Chi noticed that Ponpo lowered its head in disappointment and corrected it, "That's a derogatory term used by the villagers. Ponpo is called Egui Ponpo."

"what"

The perceptive Zi Yu immediately noticed E Guipeng's bad mood and bowed apologetically, "I'm sorry, Pengpeng, I said that because I didn't know your name."

Ergui Peng shook his head and whispered, "Bo Ni Ni."

Rotom translated at the right moment, "She said it's okay, and besides, only Xia Chi can call me Ponpo Rotom!"

Zi Yu: "."

She straightened up, glanced at Xia Chi who was trying to suppress his smile, and clicked her tongue in amazement, saying, "You two haven't known each other for very long, have you? Are you the Eastern Emperor Succubus?"

Xia Chi shrugged and remained silent, taking it as Zi Yu's sarcastic remarks.

The two of them took some food with the elves and found a place to sit down.

------

Xia Chi looked at Egui Peng, who was still wearing a mask, and reminded her, "It's time to eat breakfast, Peng Peng. Take off your mask."

"Boni?"

Egui Peng had actually been craving these various appetizing-looking foods for a long time, but he was still not used to taking off his mask in front of others, so he kept wearing it.

Seeing that she was glancing at Ziyu almost imperceptibly, Xia Chi encouraged her, "It's okay, Senior Ziyu is a good person."

Zi Yu: "."

What's going on with me being given a "friend zone" card for no reason again?

However, when she saw Ergui Peng's lovely face after he took off his mask, she felt that none of this mattered anymore.

"so cute!!!"

She covered her mouth, and her eyes seemed to have been assimilated by Ponpo, turning into starry eyes.

As everyone knows, Senior Ziyu loves all things cute.

Ponpo's cuteness needs no further explanation.

More importantly, in Ziyu's preconceived notion, Pengpeng was ostracized by the people of Beishang Township because of her excessively fierce and frightening appearance.

Or perhaps someone like Quasimodo, who is ugly but kind-hearted.

But who would have thought that the Egui Peng, whom the people of Beishang Township had called "ghost" for hundreds of years, actually had such a lovely face under his mask?

"Are the people from Beishang Township blind?!"

Faced with this contrast, Zi Yu uttered such a remark.

Xia Chi nodded in agreement.

"Boni?"

Not quite understanding the meaning of Zi Yu's words, E Guipeng looked at Xia Chi.

Xia Chi smiled and explained, "Senior Ziyu is praising your cuteness."

"Bonnie~"

Egui Peng, who hadn't been praised in centuries, blushed slightly, and his fondness for Zi Yu increased a little.

Yes, it's a real "1 point", while Xia Chi has 100 points.

Finally freed from his restraints, Egui Peng's eyes lit up as he looked at the delicious food laid out on the table, unsure of which to eat first.

Xia Chi smiled gently, "It's alright, try them all. I'll finish what you can't eat." "Bonnie~"

Ergui Pong happily responded, then picked up a sandwich with bacon and eggs, and started eating it while dangling his two thin legs.

Ziyu was completely charmed and stopped eating, instead gazing at Pengpeng, who was eating with a doting smile.

“Boni.”

Looking at the sandwich that was still two-thirds full, Ergui Peng hesitated for a moment before handing it to Xia Chi's mouth.

Xia Chi asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Can't you eat anymore?"

Most Pokémon's appetite is proportional to their strength, so Ponpo's appetite should be more than this.

Ergui shook his head and said, "Boni~"

"Egui Peng said this is delicious and wants to give Xia Chi some Roto!"

Xia Chi found it both funny and touching. She patted Ponpo's little head and said, "It's okay, you eat. I'll get it myself."

Ergui Peng shook his head again, "Bonnie~"

"The other sandwiches don't taste like the one I have, Loto!"

What else could she say? Xia Chi had no choice but to accept the sandwich and start eating.

The alarm bells rang in the ears of the cat standing nearby.

This guy's green tea skills are far stronger than I thought!

"By the way, Xia Chi."

Ziyu suddenly remembered something and asked curiously, "Why do you call her Ponpon?"

Egui Peng, who was eating in Xia Chi's arms, also quietly pricked up his ears.

Although she liked it when Xia Chi called her that, she was also a little concerned about the reason why he did call her that.

"Because it's cute!"

Xia Chi said matter-of-factly, "Don't you think that negative words like 'eek' and 'wei' have nothing to do with Ponpo?"

He looked down at Ponpo and smiled, "I hope you stop doubting yourself. It's their fault that they hate you and are afraid of you, not yours."

"You are the best Ponpo in the world."

Egui Peng raised his head, his eyes filled with tears.

“Boni.”

You are also the best Xia Chi in the world.
Zi Yu smiled knowingly as she watched this scene.

She seemed to understand why Egui Peng was so close to and dependent on Xia Chi.

I can't possibly envy that at all.
However...

She glanced furtively at Tire Cat, whose jealousy was now impossible to hide, and smiled with a hint of schadenfreude.

Rumino isn't the only Pokémon that's incredibly dependent on you, Xia Chi.
------

I wonder if it triggered the Easter egg that "being with Ziyu will inevitably refresh Nemo".

Xia Chi and Zi Yu were having dinner with the elves when Nemo squeezed in with her plate.

"Good morning, Xia Chi. Are we having a match today?"

Xia Chi had rejected her for several days, and Nemo was very frustrated.

As expected, it was another rejection.

"Forget it, let's battle again when you catch your new Pokémon."

High-intensity battles are like fatigue levels in mobile games; they're fixed for a day.

There are still so many unfamiliar trainers at the resort that Xia Chi hasn't fought yet; he doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket.

After all, Nimo had already defeated all of Xia Chi's Pokémon, so there was no way to extract any more fear points from her.

In contrast, Nemo, who is also a battle fanatic, is very "dedicated," thinking about challenging Xia Chi to a duel every day.

If she can't get a date with Xia Chi, she'll try to challenge someone else.

"All right."

Nemo's frustration lasted only a short while; her eyes lit up again when she saw Ergui Pong.

"Is this the new Pokémon you caught, Xia Chi?"

Xia Chi nodded and said, "Yes, it's the legendary spirit from Beishang Township, Egui Peng. It will be my partner from now on."

"Amazing!"

Nemo didn't know what she was being so proud of; perhaps it was just a convenient way to lead into the next sentence.

"I want to battle your new Pokémon!"

Xia Chi: "."

you sure?
I'm afraid even if Ponpo stood there and called your Babutu for ten minutes, it would be difficult to break through his defenses.
But this is good, now I have a reason to refuse Nemo's challenge.

Thinking this, Xia Chi looked down at Ponpo, who was taking small bites of a shrimp dumpling in her arms, and asked, "That older sister wants to have a match with you, do you want to try?"

Ergui Peng was startled and subconsciously looked at Nemo, who was looking at her expectantly. Suddenly, she cried out in fear.

"Boni!"

She buried her head in Xia Chi's arms, her body trembling uncontrollably from the resistance.

Rotom was unusually worried. "Erguipong said she doesn't want to fight, she doesn't like fighting, Rotom!"

Realizing she had caused trouble, Nemo looked apologetically at Xia Chi and said, "I'm sorry, Xia Chi, I didn't know."

While comforting Pengpeng, Xia Chi shook his head with a complicated expression.

"It's okay, Nemo-senpai, it's not your fault, but if Ponpo doesn't want to fight, then forget it."

He finally understood why the powerful Egui Pong had been so helpless against the low-level Great Wolfhound behind the shrine that night.

Because she loathed it from the bottom of her heart.
Even when he himself was in danger, he was unwilling to fight. What else could he say?

Did the phrase "You can't survive without fighting" motivate her?
Xia Chi wouldn't do something like that.

He reassured her, "It's okay, Ponpo. If you don't want to fight, then we won't."

Hearing Xia Chi's promise, E Guipeng's emotions finally calmed down.

Xia Chi fell into deep thought.

Why is Egui Peng so resistant to fighting?

After thinking it over, it must be the psychological trauma left by the incident with the so-called "Three Treasures" and Tao Dailang more than two hundred years ago.
Perhaps only by digging up those precious graves and killing them again can we completely remove the thorn stuck in Ponpo's heart.

Xia Chi pondered the feasibility of this matter.

------

Of course, this wouldn't be possible with ordinary Pokémon, but Triplet and Momotaros are both legendary Pokémon.

In the game's storyline, the three of them seem to be resurrected from the statue in Baoban Square, seemingly influenced by Wuli's desires.

Tao Dailang didn't even die. After being injured by Pengpeng, he secretly slipped away and hid, waiting for the opportunity to take revenge.

If she were to face the murderers who killed Ponpo's "father" again, she would surely want to kill them with her own hands, right?
Xia Chi felt it was imperative to force the three treasures out of the statue and then scatter their ashes.

It's not just about avenging Ponpo, but also about revealing the truth of what happened back then.

Most importantly, ever since Xia Chi played games in his previous life, he had always felt that the unruly people of Beishang Township were likely influenced by the Sanbao Ban statue.

Draw upon faith and give back.

This event is also recorded in "The Crown Snowfield".

The Crowned King's power comes from faith, and he rewards his followers with bountiful harvests.

The Three Jewels, filled with greed, might be the same, absorbing the incense of desire from the villagers heading north, and then giving them even deeper desires.

Xuezhong's family is the only "Three Good Families" in Beishang Township because they never believed in or respected Sanbaoban.

Reasonable!

Moreover, a special ability possessed by Momotaro himself can also corroborate Xia Chi's conjecture—

Its special toxins can control people by arousing their desires!
In the story, everyone who eats its poisonous sticky cake is controlled by it.

Even the elderly couple who initially coveted the mask of the evil spirit were very kind at first.

They became so vicious because they were influenced by Tao Dailang's years of greed and poison.

Rather than saying they instructed Momo, it would be more accurate to say that Momo controlled them.

It can be said that the culprit behind the entire story of Beishang Township is that seemingly harmless pink precious creature.

Otherwise, it's hard to explain why such a group of greedy and shameless people would appear in the Pokémon world, which has an overall harmonious and friendly tone.

If these spirits aren't eliminated, the entire Beishang Township will likely never have a peaceful day again.
With authorization from Ye Ci, the leader of the Padiya Alliance, Xia Chi began his scheme.

First, we need to do something to bring them to light!

(Daily 10,000-word chapter completed! Please vote with monthly tickets~ There will be an extra chapter for monthly tickets today!)
(End of this chapter)