Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 249 Pokémon: HeartGold/SoulSilver

Shin-chan, Kanto region.

Just like the city description in the game Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen.

This is a fresh and peaceful town, a small and beautiful place, symbolizing the pure white color of departure.

Accompanied by the calls of Pokémon coming from the bushes on both sides of the road, a van slowly drove into this peaceful and harmonious town.

Finally, we stopped in front of a detached villa with a cozy courtyard.

The truck's cargo compartment bears a prominent "Rocket Express" logo—a freight company that suddenly sprang up in the Kanto region a few months ago.

With Giovanni's behind-the-scenes efforts, the entire Kanto region's freight market was consolidated and captured at an astonishing speed within just a few months.

It has become a true and irreplaceable industry giant.

However, Bai Zhou had no time to marvel at the rise of Rocket Express at this moment.

He had only one incredibly strong thought in his mind: get off this damn truck as soon as possible!

Because the company was so busy and there was a shortage of vehicles for official receptions, they were forced to send him home in a freight truck, which was already bad enough.

But what does it mean to say, "The driver used to fly fighter jets, guaranteeing you a top-notch flight experience"?!

Does he even have a civilian driver's license?! And he dares to drive like that!

He accelerates without any restraint, and doesn't even slow down when going around corners!

Throughout the journey, Bai Zhou sat in the empty cargo hold, with only a small, fixed stool.

I felt like I was being tossed around by Giratina in a reversed world for ten days and ten nights, and my internal organs were about to be shaken out of place.

Squeak—

The truck finally came to a stop at its destination with a rather uneven braking action.

Bai Zhou suppressed the nausea rising in his throat, kicked open the unlocked cargo door, and almost stumbled as he jumped out.

The moment his feet touched solid ground, he greedily took several deep breaths of the fresh, pure air of Pallet Town.

Trying to soothe the still churning stomach and the ravaged nerves.

"Rocket Express! Mission Accomplished!"

The truck driver looked through the dirty rearview mirror and saw Bai Zhou get off the truck "safely," and a sense of professional pride welled up in his heart.

He quickly shifted gears, preparing to turn around and leave.

As a former fighter pilot who had gone through several job changes after losing his job, he was very grateful to Rocket Express for giving him this opportunity to "return to his old profession".

Therefore, as he slowly drove past Bai Zhou, he deliberately rolled down his window, flashed what he considered a hearty smile, and said loudly, "Thank you for everything you've done for us! We've safely brought you to your destination! Have a nice day! Remember to give us a five-star review!"

Bai Zhou was about to open his mouth and curse this terrible "flight experience" when he was about to do so.

But then the truck sped off as if fleeing for its life, disappearing instantly at the end of the street, leaving only a trail of exhaust fumes and dust behind—

He stood there, silent for a few seconds, then suddenly shook his head and chuckled, letting out a long breath.

—Oh well, he's let it go.

Bai Zhou turned around, his gaze falling on the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar house before him. The last trace of frustration caused by the bumpy ride vanished.

This is his home in this world.

However, after so long without anyone living there, the yard must be overgrown with weeds, and the house must be covered in dust.

I'll probably have to spend a lot of time doing a thorough cleaning later.

Looking back, he recalled how much hard work he put in when he was a researcher in order to buy this house with a courtyard.

Most of the royalties and prize money from the published high-profile papers went into this "pit".

Only after he actually possessed it did Bai Zhou feel that he had achieved more than half of his life goals, and from then on he lived the "salted fish" life he had longed for with a clear conscience.

He's been traveling the world with Professor Oak for a long time now and hasn't been back here since.

"Gengar! Stop playing dead, it's time to get to work!"

Bai Zhou tapped his heel lightly against the shadow beneath his feet, calling for his personal "coolie".

A ripple spread across the shadow as Gengar cautiously peeked out half its head, furtively looking around for a moment.

After confirming there was no danger, they prepared to move the large and small bags of luggage stored in the shadow space out first.

However, Bai Zhou stopped abruptly as soon as he stepped into the courtyard gate.

etc----

Isn't this yard a little too clean?

The cobblestone path was spotless, the lawn was neatly trimmed, and even the water in the small pond in the corner was crystal clear, clearly having been recently changed!

Something's up!

He instantly became alert and swiftly jumped backward.

At the same time, he forcefully pushed Gengar, who had just emerged halfway from the shadows and was struggling to drag his luggage out, back down!

Gengar: "???" (My waist!)

"Don't panic, a ghost has entered the house."

Bai Zhou lowered his voice and said to the shadow that had regained its composure, "Play with them for a while."

He surveyed the overly tidy courtyard, which seemed to be meticulously maintained every day, and a cold, amused smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He found it strange when he got off the plane in Tokiwa City that only a few colleagues from the research institute came to pick him up.

Logically speaking, even if those guys from Chihong were very busy, they should have shown up when they knew he was coming back.

Even Qinglv, the Gym Leader of Viridian City, who was in the city, didn't come.

I initially thought they were genuinely preoccupied with important matters, but now it seems—

These guys are trying to stage a "subordinate overthrow" and give this "head of the family" a "show of force" —

Bai Zhou quietly withdrew from the courtyard, pretending that he hadn't noticed anything.

He slowly walked around the courtyard wall to the other side of the villa, and after finding the right spot, he gently pushed off the wall with his foot.

Using the momentum, he deftly flipped upwards and landed silently on the rooftop terrace of the villa.

He sneaked into his second-floor bedroom through an unlocked window on the top floor.

The entire process was like that of a well-trained assassin, without making a sound.

Bai Zhou, now in stealth mode, gently pushed open the bedroom door and peered through the crack into the brightly lit living room on the first floor.

as predicted!

On the sofa in the living room sat four teenagers with different personalities, who were the "problem children" who hadn't gone to pick them up at the airport.

Crimson, turquoise, azure, and the seemingly most well-behaved but clearly corrupted little yellow.

At this moment, Crimson was feeling restless, nervously rubbing his knees with both hands.

"We're doomed! When Bai Zhou comes back and finds out we've been using this place as a secret base while he's away—what if he gets angry and gets rid of us all?"

His voice was filled with genuine concern.

Hearing this terrifying hypothesis, Qinglu couldn't help but shudder and quickly assessed the possibility in her mind.

Then they immediately chose the wisest strategy—to shift the blame!

"Cough, that has nothing to do with me."

He crossed his arms, adopting an indifferent attitude.

"The idea came from Xiao Lan, and you provided the key. Xiao Huang and I were just victims who were dragged here by you two. If Brother Bai Zhou is going to take action, he'll definitely settle accounts with you two masterminds first."

"Hey! Don't play innocent here!"

Crimson was shocked by Green's ruthless attempt to distance himself from the situation, and stared at him in disbelief.

"You didn't object when we were discussing this! Forget all that nonsense, just tell me, did you join us in the invasion?"

"Don't worry, don't worry~"

Azure, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned and waved her hand to reassure the two who were about to be officially betrothed.

"Besides, the house has been kept so clean and tidy while he was away, all thanks to us taking turns cleaning! Considering all the hard work, he probably won't blame us—probably."

Her drawn-out "probably" at the end plunged the room back into silence.

It wasn't until Xiao Huang looked at the other three people in the seats and timidly spoke up, that the question they all shared became clear.

"Um—we didn't go to the airport to pick up Brother Bai Zhou, and instead secretly hid here to play a prank. Will we really make him angry?"

"Don't worry! It doesn't matter where you pick it up."

Bilan pulled Xiaohuang into her arms and comforted her with her unique logic, "We'll wait for him at his house and give him an even bigger surprise! If you're really worried—"

Her eyes darted around, a sly smile spreading across her face. She lowered her voice and began to deploy her "genius" plan.

"Little Red, Little Green! The moment Brother Bai Zhou walks in, his eyes will definitely be drawn to the cute Little Yellow! In that instant, you two rush out from behind the door, attack from both sides, and capture him on the spot!" And then—hehehehe!

She let out a laugh that was difficult to decipher.

"Me? Go and capture Brother Bai Zhou?"

Chi Hong pointed to his nose, his face filled with an absurd sense of "Are you kidding me?"

"Really? Wait a minute! We all have things to do, so what are you going to do?"

"I?"

Bilan immediately sat up straight, pulled out a small camera from somewhere, and waved it in her hand.

He put on a righteous and awe-inspiring expression that showed he was "selfless" and "sacrificing his own interests."

"I'll hide in Bai Zhou's bedroom later and secretly record from this perfect spot on the second floor! After you successfully 'arrest' Bai Zhou, I'll—"

"Ahem, and we've got his valuable embarrassing history! That way, he won't dare to blame us so easily in the future!"

Crimson and Green exchanged a glance and immediately raised strong objections to this flawed and extremely reckless plan.

They all expressed that they would never cooperate with her in such a suicidal act.

However, Azure completely "killed" the match with just one sentence, forcing them to submit.

"Then you can just wait to be played with one by one by Brother Bai Zhou!" If you don't strike first, you'll have absolutely no chance of turning the tables!

The thought of Bai Zhou's seemingly gentle but actually unpredictable "educational" methods sent a chill down their spines.

Caught between the possibility of being punished by Brother Bai Zhou later and the option of participating in a suicidal plan to gamble on a sliver of hope, they ultimately—

They tragically chose the latter.

And so, after a simple and unreliable pre-battle deployment, everyone "clarified" their mission and prepared for "battle".

"OK! I just received intelligence that Professor Oak's car has returned to the lab!"

Azure put away her phone, which she had been using to check messages, and turned to the other three, announcing the message like a commander.

"Brother Bai Zhou should be home soon! Quick! Everyone to your positions! Let's move!"

Once Crimson and Green had retreated to the blind spots on either side of the door with expressions of grim determination, Little Yellow nervously sat in the most conspicuous spot on the living room sofa, acting as "bait."

Bilan turned on the camera's recording function, mounted it on the second-floor railing, and aimed it at the living room door downstairs.

After doing all this, she turned around and tiptoed quickly toward Bai Zhou's bedroom, ready to carry out her important task of "recording the video".

Huh—why is the bedroom door open?

I remember it was definitely locked tightly when I came out.

As she approached the bedroom door, Bilan looked at the slightly ajar door and a hint of doubt crossed her mind.

But perhaps she thought she had misremembered, or perhaps she was blinded by the excitement of the "plan" about to succeed, she didn't think much of it.

She gently pushed open the bedroom door, slipped inside, and was about to close it behind her—but hesitated for a moment and left it a crack to observe the "battle" downstairs.

Then, she took three steps in two, took a running start, and pounced, landing precisely on Bai Zhou's soft bed.

She hugged the pillow tightly, buried her face in it, and took a deep, blissful breath, her fair and shapely legs still swinging excitedly along the edge of the bed.

"Hmph~ With those two idiots at the door drawing attention and aggression, Brother Bai Zhou definitely won't blame me—hehehe, I'll record all the evidence, so later I can—I'm so smart!"

A warm, slightly teasing, familiar voice suddenly rang out from not far from her without warning, naturally picking up where she was talking to herself.

"Really? I don't believe it."

"Hmph! Of course! Those two idiots dared to attack Brother Bai Zhou, they'll definitely get what's coming to them! Knowing Brother Bai Zhou as I do, he'll definitely—"

Bilan instinctively retorted, but as she spoke, her voice gradually faded, like a duck being choked, and finally disappeared completely.

Because she suddenly realized that there was actually someone else talking in the bedroom!

And why does that tone of voice sound so familiar?

So familiar it gave her goosebumps —

She stiffly turned her head, bit by bit.

My gaze slowly focused, and I finally saw clearly what it had been since some unknown time ago.

He quietly leaned against the bedroom window, arms crossed, watching her tall figure with a half-smile.

Who else could it be but Bai Zhou, whom she kept mentioning?!

Bai Zhou looked at her leisurely, continuing the previous topic with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What? How will he deal with those two idiots at the door? Keep going! I haven't fully understood your 'brilliant idea' yet—"

Bilan instantly realized that Bai Zhou had probably seen and heard her foolish "successful plot" and all her muttering to herself!

boom--

A surge of heat rushed to her head, and her entire face, including the tips of her ears, instantly turned bright red, as if blood could drip from it.

I wish I could find a crack in the ground to crawl into immediately, or turn back time to three minutes ago!

But her strong will to survive enabled her to unleash astonishing drive amidst extreme shame.

She practically scrambled to her feet, not even bothering to straighten her disheveled hair and clothes.

He immediately faced Bai Zhou and assumed a standard "dogeza" posture on the bed, his forehead pressed tightly against the blankets.

He begged for forgiveness in a tearful, extremely sincere tone.

"Gum na se!!! Red bean paste gin na se!!!"

Bai Zhou was amused by her sudden change of attitude, from arrogance to obsequiousness and instant surrender. He swallowed back the few words of reprimand he had prepared.

He was about to speak up, telling her that as a young lady, she should be more mindful of her image and stop acting so crazy and randomly throwing herself into other people's beds—

But his phone vibrated at a very inopportune moment.

Bai Zhou had no choice but to temporarily suppress his lecturing thoughts and gently patted Bi Lan's head, which was buried under the covers and seemed to wish it could disintegrate on the spot.

He gestured for her to sit down first.

After a while, Bilan slowly sat up straight, her face flushed.

Although the blush on her face had not completely faded, she had at least regained a basic "human form".

Bai Zhou then sat down next to her and casually answered the phone.

"Lord Bai Zhou."

A calm, businesslike female voice came from the receiver.

The sound made the blue-eyed creature next to her prick up its ears instantly, like an alert cat, its eyes full of inquiry.

However, when she heard what happened next on the other end of the phone, her attention was immediately diverted, and her eyes widened instantly!

"The development of the second generation of Pokémon games has been fully polished and has entered the final testing phase."

"Regarding the licensing of key character images in the game, should I make the initial contact, or—"

The second generation of Pokémon games?!

Is it the Pokémon she's thinking of?! Is there going to be a sequel?!

"When it comes to licensing character images, especially when it involves friends, it's better for me to personally go and communicate with them; it seems more formal that way."

Bai Zhou interrupted Olive on the other end of the phone and explained his plan.

"We can start the publicity campaign now to maintain the buzz. As for the specific release date, we'll finalize it after I've confirmed the licensing details and gathered the test feedback."

"Understood. I'll continue with the company's daily affairs and won't disturb your rest any longer, sir."

As soon as he finished speaking, the call was abruptly and cleanly ended, without any hesitation.

Before Bai Zhou could react, Bi Lan, who was next to him, grabbed his arm impatiently and almost pressed herself against him.

He fired off a barrage of questions.

"Is Pokémon! Generation 2 going to be released soon?!"

"Whose experiences are these adventure stories based on?! Is the protagonist someone we know?!"

"Have you decided on a name for the game yet?! Tell me now!"

Faced with this barrage of questions, Bai Zhou's lips twitched slightly, a hint of helplessness in his expression.

He pondered for a moment, looking at Bilan's eager and curious eyes, and finally decided to reveal a little information.

The game's name is tentatively set as follows:

He paused, then, meeting the expectant gaze of the blue-eyed monster, slowly said, "Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver."