Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 403 "Mutantl Lv.5"

Daigo did not respond to his mother's words.

He stood there, his brows slightly furrowed.

As a former Hoenn Champion, he certainly knew about Petalburg Gym.

The problem is that the Orange Blossom Gym has been closed due to the absence of its headmaster.

It wasn't until today, when the owner returned from afar, that the museum reopened.

Meanwhile, in the game's timeline, news reports today announced the reopening of the Petalburg Gym.

Daigo's brows furrowed even more.

If he remembers correctly, Qianli does seem to have a son in real life, and the age matches up.

Doesn't this mean that the "Xiao You" he's playing now isn't fictional, but real?

This put Daigo in a bit of a predicament.

He doesn't have any Pokémon partners, and if he leaves town to search for the professor in the wild, he'll likely encounter attacks from wild Pokémon.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he stopped, then shook his head with amusement.

What is he doing?

This isn't the real world, and he's not the "Hoenn Champion" who has to worry about attacks from wild Pokémon.

This is a game.

His current identity is that of a seventeen-year-old boy who has just moved to Weibai Town.

A rookie trainer about to embark on a journey, starting from scratch.

He subconsciously brought his real-world thinking into account and started worrying about things like "not having Pokémon".

They're really—too into character.

Daigo chuckled, took a step forward, and walked out of the town without looking back.

The wind blows, carrying the scent of grass, trees, and earth, almost exactly like the Hoenn region in reality.

Highway 101.

Just as I crossed the intersection, a piercing scream came from ahead.

"Waaaaaah! Help!!!"

Daigo looked in the direction of the sound and saw Professor Birch, who was slightly chubby and had a protruding belly, frantically circling around a big tree with a panicked expression.

Behind him, three fierce-looking coyote dogs were baring their teeth and barking wildly as they chased and bit his rear end.

Each time the doctor nearly bit him, he let out an even more miserable howl, and his speed miraculously increased a few points.

Even though he knew the situation was critical, Daigo's lips still twitched uncontrollably as he watched this scene.

He knew Professor Birch's face all too well.

In real life, that highly respected scholar is being chased all over the forest by three little dogs in the game; the scene is simply...

puff.

No, you can't laugh.

Out of respect for the PhD, I had to hold back.

He forced back his laughter, barely managing to maintain his composure.

"Hey there, boy! Quick! Help me!"

Professor Birch spotted Steven and, as if seeing a savior, quickly pointed to the bushes nearby and shouted, "My briefcase fell over there! There are three Poké Balls inside. Pick one and help me chase these guys away! Quick, it bit me again—"

The final scream had a distinct sobbing tone at the end.

Following the professor's instructions, Daigo quickly found the file folder that had been abandoned in the chaos near the bushes.

Unzip it, and inside lie three Poké Balls, neatly arranged, emitting a faint glow.

He picked up the first one, and a message popped up.

In the picture, a little orange creature pops out, tilting its head curiously, its black bean-like eyes sparkling with eager anticipation.

"Turkey Lv.5"

Attribute: Fire

"Ability: Blaze (When HP is low, the power of Fire-type moves increases)"

"Master the moves: grab, shout, sparks"

"Description: Torchic, a chick Pokémon that waddles close to its trainer."

Daigo picked up the second one.

This time, a small creature appeared, entirely emerald green, carrying a leaf larger than its face in its mouth, its golden eyes glancing sideways with a cool expression.

"Wooden Gecko Lv.5"

"Attribute: Grass"

"Ability: Overgrow (When HP is low, the power of Grass-type moves increases)"

"Master the moves: slap, glare, leaves"

"Description: Treecko, the forest lizard Pokémon, can use the small spikes on the bottom of its feet to hook onto vertical walls to climb."

The last one is the third one.

Mudskipper —

This guy had a string of glistening snot running down his nose, and his eyes were glazed over, looking as if he hadn't woken up yet.

"Mutant Lv.5"

Attribute: Water

Ability: Torrent (When HP is low, the power of Water-type moves increases) |

"Mastered moves: Tackle, vocalizations, water gun"

"Description: Mudkip, the Swamp Fish Pokémon, has a very sensitive radar fin on its head."

It seems these are the three starter Pokémon from the Hoenn region.

Daigo's gaze swept back and forth between the three Pokémon.

Based on his usual style, he actually prefers tree geckos.

Calm, precise, and efficient—this aligns well with his own fighting style.

But his gaze was uncontrollably drawn to the Mudskipper.

Not because of its strength, but because of its appearance—

That's incredibly clever.

That adorably dazed expression, that string of snot about to fall, that detached, indifferent attitude towards the world—

This is definitely not an ordinary Pokémon.

This is a supreme state of being that has seen through the world's splendor and returned to simplicity!

"I choose you! Mudkip!"

Daigo blurted it out almost without thinking.

The red and white Poké Ball drew an arc in the air and bounced away with a bang!

A flash of light, and the Mudkip leaped out.

It seemed to be trying to land in a cool pose, but it ended up hitting a stone on the ground and losing its balance.

The fish rolled 360 degrees, crashed into an even larger rock with a thud, and slid softly to the ground.

When it stood up, still dizzy, Daigo saw that the bar display above its head, representing its stamina, had inexplicably decreased by about a third.

Daigo couldn't help but raise his hand to cover his face.

"Are you... alright?"

The Mudskipper wobbled as it climbed up, its fins drooping and a snotty nose hanging from its head.

It struggled to lift its head and glanced at Daigo, its beady black eyes filled with grievance and shame.

Was I really that embarrassing just now?

'

—

Daigo took a deep breath and said in a tone that soothed a kindergarten child, "It's okay, you did your best."

Mudkip seemed to understand. It patted the dirt off its body with its short arms, tried to straighten its chest, and made a gesture as if to say, "I was just warming up."

Daigo crouched down, pointed at the three hyenas that were still chasing Professor Birch all over the street, and his tone became serious.

"See those bastards? Let's teach them a lesson and help the professor out of this predicament, shall we?"

Mudkip followed his finger and looked over, his previously unfocused gaze suddenly sharpening.

Its fins stood up with a "whoosh".

"Mutant! Use the water gun!"

"Dap-da!"

The Mudkip opened its mouth, and a jet of water as thick as a thumb shot out!

The water jet hit the nearest wolfhound squarely in the face, sending it tumbling over and rolling several meters away, whimpering.

The other two were stunned, loosened their grip on Professor Birch's clothes, turned to Mudkip, and bared their teeth.

"Mutant, watch out!"

Daigo's voice unconsciously took on a commanding tone.

Upon hearing the command, the Mudkip leaped nimbly to the side.

Then I stepped on a rock, slipped, and fell face-first to the ground.

The coyotes seized the opportunity and pounced.

"Water gun! Aim at the ground!"

Almost instinctively, Mudkip opened its mouth, spraying a jet of water onto the muddy ground in front of it, splashing mud all over the face of the foremost hyena.

It screamed and shook its head, bumping into its companion, and the two rolled into a ball.

The third one bypassed the mud pit and pounced from the side.

"Jump up!"

The water leaped up, barely dodging the attack, and flipped in the air before landing steadily on the rock that had caused it to fall twice.

Daigo seized the opportunity.

"Final blow! Water gun!"

The water gun hit its target squarely, and the last wolfhound was swept into the bushes, letting out a pitiful whimper.

The three hyenas exchanged a glance, then slunk away into the depths of the woods and disappeared.

Daigo let out a long breath.

He looked down at the Mudskipper.

The little guy was covered in mud, his fins drooped, and snot was dripping onto his ears, but his round eyes were full of pride.

"Da-bu!"

It raised its little paws and stretched them out towards him.

Daigo paused for a moment, a strange emotion welling up inside him.

He crouched down, reached out, and gently touched its paw.

"Well done, partner."