Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 334 "Fine! Fine! Is this how you play? What happened to the speedrun through the gym?!"

Even without the need for a barrage of comments reminding him, the experienced Qibana knew that now was the best time to rescue the hostages!

His eyes narrowed, and he controlled A Xiang to dart out of the shadows, simultaneously throwing out the three Poké Balls he had already been holding!

boom! boom! boom!

Three beams of light flashed in succession!

Cyndaquil, Dratini, and Houndoom appeared in a perfect triangle formation, tightly surrounding the Team Rocket executive who had his back to him!

"Cyndaquil, Quick Attack! Dratini, Extreme Speed! Houndoom, Sucker Punch!"

Cibana's command sounded simultaneously!

In an instant, three figures transformed into three streams of light, striking the Team Rocket officers from three different directions!

"Ugh—"

Before the Rockets officer could even scream, he saw a blur before being violently knocked away.

His back slammed heavily against the distant rock wall with a dull thud.

He then slid to the ground and lay motionless, clearly unconscious.

Qibana then manipulated A Xiang to rush to the old man's side, swiftly cut the ropes, and tore off the gag.

Then, he hoisted the still somewhat dazed old man onto his shoulder, quickly recalled his three Pokémon, and fled at full speed along the way they had come!

This is the Rockets' secret base. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. If he were alone, he wouldn't mind causing a ruckus here.

But with an elderly person who has lost their ability to move around, things could get complicated if the other Team Rocket members get alerted and surround them.

The safe evacuation of hostages must be the top priority!

As he expected, on his way back to the upper passage while carrying the old man, he encountered several groups of Team Rocket members in a hurry.

Fortunately, Chibana was experienced in games and used the terrain and shadows to avoid the dangers one by one.

Finally, he carried the old man and successfully broke out of the Slowpoke Well, returning to the surface.

He placed the old man on the grass by the well and watched as his breathing gradually stabilized, and Cibana breathed a sigh of relief.

However, as soon as the old man regained his freedom, he immediately struggled to stand up, looking anxiously at the well, as if he was about to jump down again!

"Hey! Old man! What are you doing!"

With quick reflexes, Qibana immediately manipulated A Xiang to move sideways, firmly blocking his path.

He spoke bluntly and without any politeness.

"I finally managed to pull you out of there, and you're going back to die? I saved your life, can't you appreciate it a little?!"

The old man tried to push Ah Xiang away, but he was clearly not strong enough and could only wave his arms anxiously.

"Let me tell you, the area down there is full of Rockets guys! Going down there now is the same as walking into a trap!"

Startled by Chibana's shout, the old man froze, his reason seemingly returning.

But the anxious look on his face did not diminish at all, and he still tried to push Ah Xiang away.

"Iron: I'm sorry, child! I was too hasty! But—I have a reason to go back immediately!"

The old man's voice carried a deep sense of urgency.

"Steel: That Poké Ball! That person must not use it! Otherwise—otherwise everything will go wrong! Something terrible will happen!"

The viewers in the live chat were amused and exasperated by the old man's stubborn and unreasonable behavior.

"I'm speechless. What Poké Ball could be more important than your own life?"

"That old man is as stubborn as a rock! The Rockets don't care about respecting the elderly!"

"Old man: I thank you for saving me, but I'm sorry, I have to go deliver it now."

"Even if it's precious, it's still an inanimate object! Besides, didn't Zibana say that the area below is full of Team Rockets?"

"Do you guys think that ball might be connected to some important plot point? Like summoning a legendary Pokémon or something?"

Seeing that Steel was about to get up and force his way in again, Chibana scratched his wild hair in frustration.

However, his thinking is clearly not on the same wavelength as most of the comments.

He astutely grasped the key information—the Poké Ball.

What could make Steel so desperate to reclaim it, what could make that mysterious masked man willing to cooperate with Team Rocket to get his hands on it?

This ball is definitely not simple!

"It's just a broken Poké Ball, isn't it?"

Cibana deliberately spoke in a nonchalant tone, trying to provoke the other party into revealing more information.

"I'll go to the Friendship Store in town later and buy you a dozen of the most expensive balls as compensation."

These words did not comfort Steel; instead, they made him even more agitated, causing him to dance wildly.

"Steel: No! That's not it! That's not an ordinary Poké Ball! That's—that's from the Forest Spirit—"

"Steel: Alas! In any case, it is extremely important! It must never fall into the hands of unscrupulous people!"

"Okay, okay, I know, I know."

Seeing that the time was right, Cibana's tone suddenly changed, from agitation to a calm and composed manner with a sense of control.

"I'll help you find that ball."

He's Raihana, the strongest Gym Leader in the Galar region, and his mind works incredibly fast.

From Steel's intense reaction and his hesitant words that clearly involved major secrets, he could already sense a strong "hidden mission" in the air.

After all that buildup—saving people, hearing stories—it's time to wrap things up and take over the mission.

"but----"

He changed the subject, a sly smile playing on his lips.

"If you want me to help you find that Poké Ball, you have to tell me what's so special about it, right?"

'

"What does it look like? What are its distinctive features? Otherwise, how am I supposed to find it in this vast sea of ​​people—no, in the depths of a well and the wilderness?"

As expected, Steel was initially angry because of Chibana's "disrespect," but his eyes lit up as soon as he heard that Chibana had agreed to help him take it back.

"Steel: Really?! I know it's really inappropriate to ask a child like you to do this—but please, I'm begging you! It's really important!"

"Steel: Right! This isn't the place to talk! Come with me!"

After saying that, without waiting for a reply, Gangtie grabbed Ah Xiang's wrist and dragged him quickly into the town of Huipi.

After many twists and turns, he finally arrived at a somewhat old-looking wooden house on the edge of town—his home.

"Hehehe~ See that? A hidden quest, and I got it so easily!"

Qibana's face switched to a smug expression, and he raised an eyebrow at the live broadcast camera.

"Study and observe more! What are the advanced player's quest triggering techniques? Hidden clues will naturally come to you!"

"Fine, fine! Is this how you play it? What happened to the speedrun course?!"

"How can you get a quest like this?! This NPC's intelligence is off the charts! I seriously suspect there's a real GM controlling it!"

"Chibana: I'm coming clean, I'm a story-driven player. Speedrun? What's that?"

"How to Obtain Hidden Quests by Talking to NPCs"

"Teacher Salty Fish: I'll just quietly watch you guys develop all sorts of unorthodox methods—"

"As expected of the gym owner who's a master of tactics! Even playing a game is so strategic!"

When Steel returned home, he carefully checked the doors and windows to make sure no one was eavesdropping before solemnly speaking again.

"Steel: Child, thank you again for saving me. My name is Steel, and I am a Poké Ball craftsman passed down through generations in Azalea Town."

"Steel: I am skilled at using berries to handcraft all kinds of Poké Balls with unique effects. If you need them in the future, you can come to me to make custom ones."

He paused, his tone becoming serious.

"Steel: The Poké Ball stolen by the Masked Man, which I call the Gold and Silver Ball," is a unique Poké Ball crafted using the finest techniques and the feathers of two special Pokémon as its core materials!

"Steel: The moment the gold and silver ball was finally completed—our oak forest, which has been worshipped by the forest god for generations, resonated with a strange light! A Pokémon I had never seen before appeared deep in the forest!"

"Steel: Later, through ancient records, I learned that the Pokémon that descended was the forest god that our Azalea Town had always silently worshipped! Its name is—Celebi!"

At this point, Steel's emotions surged again. He gripped Ah Xiang's hands tightly, his eyes filled with pleading and determination.

"Steel: I don't know where that masked villain got the information that the Gold and Silver Spheres are connected to the Celebi! But I absolutely cannot stand by and watch the Forest God fall into the hands of such an unidentified person!"

Steel: I beg you, brave young man! Please help me retrieve that gold and silver ball from the masked man! In return, I will teach you my finest handmade Poké Ball and everything I know about Berries!

The dialogue has ended, and the quest has been successfully accepted!

Before Cibana could even give his acceptance speech, the live stream chat had already gone completely wild!

"Seraphim?! Didn't Steel just mention Seraphim?! The Forest Spirit is Seraphim?!"

"Holy crap! It all connects! Everything makes sense! No wonder that masked man suddenly appeared when Qishu encountered Celebi! He'd been eyeing the Forest God all along!"

"Holy crap! This hidden plot is so intricate, one thing leads to another! You old scoundrel, are you really afraid players will beat the game too easily?!"

"The gold and silver balls can attract Celebi? That's an interesting concept! So this ball is a Master Ball specifically designed to catch Celebi?"

"So the Masked Man's target from the very beginning was Celebi? To catch him with a specially made ball? That's incredibly ambitious!"

'

"To reclaim the gold and silver orbs, and indirectly protect the forest god Silavi? Heh, this is getting more and more interesting."

Cibana stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully.

Then, he straightened his back and gave the camera a confident and arrogant smile.

"Just leave it to me! I guarantee I'll find that masked charlatan and get the ball back!"

Stepping out of the steel house, they returned to the streets of Paintbrush Town.

Instead of recklessly returning to Slowpoke Well, Kibana immediately opened the game map.

According to Steel, the gold and silver orbs are associated with the forest god Silva, and the specific place where Silva first appeared because of the orbs is the "oak forest".

So, the logic is clear.

If he were that masked man, after going to great lengths to steal the gold and silver orbs that could be linked to the rabbi, where would he most likely go next?

Without a doubt—an oak forest!

Go there and wait for them to appear, or use the gold and silver balls to do something to try and lure the rabbi out!

"Let's go! Destination—the oak forest!"

He maneuvered Ah Xiang through the checkpoint leading from the town of Huipi to the outskirts.

A forest scene, completely different from the dry climate of the town, slowly came into view.

The melodious background music of the forest quietly began to play.

Golden beams of light streamed through the gaps in the branches and leaves, creating dappled, shimmering spots of light on the ground covered with fallen leaves and moss.

Melodious and tranquil.

"Wow—the scenery of this forest—it's really well done."

Kibana couldn't help but mutter a soft praise. As a gym leader, he was very sensitive to environmental design and atmosphere creation.

"The lighting, the details, the overall atmosphere—the amount of extravagance that Salty Fish's art team put into polishing this early forest is almost a waste, isn't it?"

Of course, while he admired the work, he didn't forget his business.

While controlling Ah Xiang to explore the quiet forest path, I carefully observed every corner of the screen.

He pondered how to find the mysterious "masked man" in the vast forest.

I explored the surrounding area carefully several times.

Aside from encountering a few enthusiastic bug-catching kids and giving them a little "guidance," I gained nothing.

"Tsk, that guy's been hiding pretty well—"

Just as Cibana was stroking his chin, wondering if he had missed any clues, or if he should try a more radical approach...

A figure came running up the forest path ahead, panting, and blocked Ah Xiang's way.

This is a boy who looks a little older than the average insect-catching boy, and he is holding an exaggeratedly large insect-catching net.

With his other hand on his hip, beads of sweat still clung to his forehead from running.

He's practically a "super deluxe PLUS version of Bug Catcher," brimming with energy!

He glared at Ah Xiang, pointing fiercely at him.

"Abi: You, you bastard! I finally caught up with you!"

"Bilibili: I'm Bibili, the Gym Leader of the Azalea Gym! You despicable Team Rocket accomplice! Hand over Steel Man right now!"

"what?"

At first, Cibana was stunned and a little confused.

"Are you alright? When did I get strapped to steel—"

He was explaining when suddenly a brilliant idea struck him!

and many more!

Isn't this a classic "misunderstanding" scenario?

I reckon it was Gym Leader Abi who heard the news and knew that Steel had been kidnapped by Team Rocket.

Then, seeing that he was coming from the direction of Slowpoke Well, a huge misunderstanding arose!

Then, an even more "brilliant" idea popped into my head.

What if I—don't explain?

Following the classic pattern of games, this kind of misunderstanding by NPCs will most likely trigger a forced battle!

If I "go with the flow" and fight him, and then "accidentally" win—

As the gym leader, Abi should at least do something after his defeat, right?

For example—acknowledge your strength and hand over the badge?

This saves you the trouble of making a special trip to the dojo!

Efficiency! This is efficiency!

Cibana's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

"bring it on!"

His voice was full of eager provocation.

"Let me see just how strong the leader of the Azalea Gym really is!"