Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

"So, this legend of the golden man was probably only known to me, and now I have to add you to the list."

"Do you take me for a child? Do you like this kind of childish stuff?"

Ah, no, we've all forgotten that it evolved from the Circle Mage because of its weakness.

He said helplessly, "Teacher, this was specially made for you. If you don't want it, I don't know what to do."

…………

Breathing deeply, my mind cleared, and in that hazy moment, it felt as if only a few seconds had passed, yet also as if several days had gone by.

Because it has no evolved form, no combat ability, and is extremely difficult to capture, almost no trainer would attempt to capture it.

Xia Chen nodded, then asked curiously, "Yes, the Parthian region, what's wrong?"

It was also a small goal I set for myself to travel to the Padiya region.

It seems that Teacher Mo Lan must have mentioned me in private, but I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

Feeling Gengar's cold gaze, Xia Chen felt that things were probably not going well.

Xia Chen had his own way of dealing with this kind of arrogance.

Seeing that Teacher Mo Lan was going on and on like a flood that had burst its banks, Xia Chen quickly interrupted.

Mo Lan, realizing what was happening, paused for a moment, then repeated, "The Padiya region?"

After all, the main reason she was angry was Xia Chen's deception, not that Ghost Zoroark was inferior to Ghost Eevee.

Xia Chen also satisfied her desire to educate him, nodding obediently like a primary school student.

"Don't do anything like lying to your teacher again next time."

Xia Chen, who was in deep meditation, was gently awakened by Gardevoir's psychic power.

The neckless Gengar made a feeble nod, then floated up gently and flew to a relatively high bookshelf, where it took down an old and heavy book.

Before Xia Chen took his leave, Yu Chaohua gave him a parting gift.

Having dealt with a Gengar that loved to scare people, he knew that in this situation, the more fear he showed, the more likely he was to be tricked by the ghosts.

After a moment's thought, Mo Lan said to Gengar beside her, "Ghost, go and get me that copy of 'The Chronicles of Padia'."

Xia Chen bowed ninety degrees in apology and presented the gift he had prepared beforehand: a chibi version of the ghost Zoroark doll.

Whether by coincidence or not, the Ghost type happens to fall at the most auspicious number, eighteen.

Not only that, as soon as Xia Chen went upstairs, he felt an unusually gloomy atmosphere.

After using her three-pronged approach, Teacher Mo Lan had completely forgotten her resentment.

Gathering his thoughts, Xia Chen looked out at the blue sky and white clouds and entered a deep meditation mode.

The word "resentment" might be a bit strong, but it captures Teacher Mo Lan's emotions—like a child who was fooled into believing that Santa Claus really exists and then discovers the truth.

Teacher Mo Lan, hopping and skipping with her doll in hand, looked like a child visiting an amusement park.

While Teacher Mo Lan was engrossed in playing with the doll, Xia Chen quietly took out the Poké Ball containing Zoroark.

Turning the page gently, the next page reads: "However, in Gulin Town, a place rich in gold, I heard another legend. It is said that someone saw a tiny golden man covered in gold coins near the gold mine! But this person was a gambling addict, and the people around him just thought he had lost money and was delirious. No one took his description seriously. I am not sure either, but I am just recording it for future generations to refer to."

She glanced down, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly as she reached out and took the doll.

Recalling Teacher Mo Lan's instructions, Xia Chen, sitting on the plane bound for Zhuotai City, rubbed his temples in distress.

"I don't really like going out. Aren't you going to travel to the Parthian region? If you could, would you be willing to help me find out if this legend is true or false? If you really discover the evolved form of the Money-Gathering Spirit, I will definitely thank you properly!"

It's probably Gengar or Mismagius up to their old tricks again.

Xia Chen muttered to himself, but outwardly remained calm as he walked toward Teacher Mo Lan's office.

Teacher Mo Lan took the book, turned to a page of the thick ancient book with familiarity, and said, "I happen to be studying the local chronicles of the Parthian region recently. Look here."

Who said that? There's also a speaker grill!

Xia Chen silently complained to himself.

Perhaps because she was usually withdrawn and didn't have many people to talk to, she would chat idly with Xia Chen whenever she got the chance.

Pulling himself back to reality, Xia Chen continued reading. He knew that what Teacher Mo Lan valued was definitely not just this.

Xia Chen looked up thoughtfully at Teacher Mo Lan.

It is certain that, apart from that local chronicle, there are no other records of the "Golden Men" appearing in the wild in the Parthian region.

"I'm sorry, Professor Moran. I said that before purely for Zoroark's sake. As you know, there are many bad people in this world, and not everyone loves Ghost-type Pokémon as purely as you do."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gengar stared at Xia Chen with its large, blood-red eyes in surprise, as if it had heard of him.

This concludes the local history of Gulin Town.

A flash of white light appeared, and a grayish-white humanoid fox demon with a slightly hunched body appeared in the small space.

"By the way, teacher, I'm going to travel to the Parthian region in a while and won't be able to attend class. I'd like to ask for leave from you."

Mo Lan waved her hand casually and said, "Oh, it's nothing, please go ahead, let's continue talking about the Lone Sword Sheath. Wait, where did you just say you were going?"

"Zoroark the Ghost!"

"Thanks, Gui Gui."

"Gengar?"

The remaining half, naturally, was given to Zoroark himself.

This was specially commissioned by Xia Chen before he came to Beijing. It might be a bit childish for elementary school students, but it should be just right for Teacher Mo Lan.

It's more like a library than an office.

"I have heard many strange tales about the [Treasure Chest Man] in various places. They mostly appear in warehouses or antique shops. Anyone approached by the Treasure Chest Man will become involuntarily obsessed with coins, not for themselves, but to hand them over to the Treasure Chest Man. Once you encounter it, you will be controlled by it and unable to escape. Another version of the legend describes a small man carrying coins on his back, incredibly fast, who will immediately flee if anyone gets too close. I believe this [Treasure Chest Man] is also a type of monster, but it is so well hidden that it is often overlooked as mere merchandise."

Come to think of it, this book is quite old.

Teacher Mo Lan affirmed, "If that gambler isn't suffering from hysteria, I think the chances are quite high. After all, there are very few Pokémon in the Pokémon world that are weak without an evolved form."

Startled twice by a cursed doll falling from the ceiling and once by Mimikyu crawling out from under his feet, Xia Chen finally reached his destination at the deepest part of the room, Ms. Mo Lan's office, without any major mishaps.

From the two short words "Teacher Mo Lan," Xia Chen sensed surprise, delight, doubt, and a slight resentment.

Xia Chen nodded to himself. This passage should describe the rare and mysterious Ghost-type Pokémon, the Money-Grubber, from the Padia region.

Teacher Mo Lan spoke as if she were teaching a primary school student not to lie, which also meant that she had completely forgiven Xia Chen.

Xia Chen encountered Teacher Mo Lan, whose dark circles resembled smoky makeup, in the "Padia Region Documents" section.

"I really can't do anything with you, so I'll reluctantly accept it."

That's normal, after all, Mo Lan teacher must have studied the "Ghost Eevee" that I made up back then for a long time.

He casually asked, "Do you usually read here when you don't have classes?"

Despite it being broad daylight, the corridor was eerily dark, with no windows in sight, yet a chilly wind could be felt blowing past from behind every now and then.

Warcraft—was that what elves were called hundreds of years ago?

Xia Chen nodded to indicate that he understood, and then walked out of the principal's office and headed to the top floor, the office floor for the ghost department teachers.

"Gengar!"

Xia Chen nodded politely and smiled, "I am Professor Mo Lan's student, my name is Xia Chen. I'm here to see her about something. You can ask Professor Mo Lan, she should remember me."

…………

A notification sound came from the loudspeaker.

"Dear passengers, the aircraft is about to arrive at Orange Airport in Tabletop. There may be some turbulence during the landing process, please be patient."

Xia Chen's spirits lifted.

We've arrived in Tabletop, Parthia region.

Chapter 242 Arrival in Padiya

Tabletop is the largest city in the Padia region, located in the southern part of the center of the continent. It is bordered to the north by the famous Padia pit and surrounded by water on the other three sides.

The biggest difference between Tabletop and other regional capitals is that Tabletop is a city built around an academy called Orange Academy.

This ancient academy was founded during the Parthian Empire and has been passed down for over a thousand years.

As perhaps the most famous school in the world, it welcomes students from all regions and age groups every year.

That's right, all age groups.

As long as you have enough love for elves and pass the entrance exam, you can enter the school to study.

Originally, there was only the first requirement for admission, but in recent years, with the increasing frequency of exchanges between regions, more and more international students have applied, and the admission requirements have become more stringent.

Today, those who are able to study at the academy are all outstanding talents with exceptional performance or extraordinary potential in their respective fields.

Anyone who meets the requirements can enroll, whether it's battling, nurturing, researching, caring, or even cooking.

As for Mingyi's learning direction, it is naturally Pokémon battles.

It is said that she prepared for several months to prepare for the Orange Academy's remote admissions exam.

She passed numerous hurdles, including written tests, video practice, and final interviews, eliminating thousands of competitors before finally gaining admission.

In some ways, this was even more difficult than Xia Chen's attempt to gain admission to Peking University.

As the plane slowly descended, Xia Chen could see through the porthole the Orange Academy complex in downtown Taiwan, a massive, Paleocene-style building complex that resembled a castle.

Like the Galar region, the Padia region also offers flying taxi services, except that the drivers here are not Corviknights but Angry Parrots instead of Corviknights.

The reason for this is that the Great Blacksmiths of the Padia region are natural enemies of the Corviknights, and there are frequent incidents of Great Blacksmiths using their large hammers to knock rocks away and bring down Corviknights.

Over time, there were fewer and fewer Steelraven taxis.

After all, even if a mode of transportation carries a huge risk of crashing, no one would dare to ride it for free.

…………

Arriving in a new area, one naturally wants to try the local specialties, so Xia Chen chose the Flying Taxi at the airport exit over a regular taxi.

This was Xia Chen's first time riding in a flying taxi, and the experience was quite different from flying directly on an elf's back.

The latter was for getting somewhere quickly, while the former's leisurely flight speed was more like sightseeing.