Pokémon: I have no choice but to do this old thing?

The awards ceremony concluded amidst a shower of confetti and deafening applause. Zhang Jianying, carrying the heavy championship trophy in one arm and holding Kirlia's hand in the other, with a Turtwig's Poké Ball at his waist, walked out of the roaring arena under the envious and admiring gazes of the audience.

The golden-red afterglow of the setting sun gently enveloped them, stretching their three side-by-side figures long, as if painting a heartwarming picture on the ground called "Victory".

"Hurry, hurry, the mall's closing soon!" Zhang Jianying waved his newly acquired Alliance debit card impatiently, the card reflecting an alluring golden luster in the setting sun. "Buy whatever you want today! A champion deserves champion treatment!"

They walked excitedly towards the commercial district. But as they passed a quiet park bathed in the warm orange glow of the setting sun, Zhang Jianying suddenly stopped. The noise was shut out behind him; only the rustling of leaves in the breeze could be heard. The excitement on his face subsided slightly, transforming into a deeper tenderness.

"Ahem, actually..."

He crouched down, took out two carefully wrapped little boxes from his backpack, and smiled until his eyes curved into crescents. "I prepared gifts for you a long time ago. No matter the outcome of the competition, you will always be the best partners in my heart."

He handed the light blue box to Kirlia and the emerald green box to Turtwig, which jumped out of its Poké Ball. The two little ones exchanged a surprised glance, then excitedly tore open the packaging.

Inside Kirlia's box was a delicate, small silver hair clip shaped like a butterfly with outstretched wings, its wings inlaid with tiny super-powerful gems that shimmered with a dreamlike rainbow of colors in the sunset.

"This is... something we bought in Xuefeng Town with our first pot of gold when we first left the snowfield," Zhang Jianying explained softly, his tone filled with nostalgia. "I've kept it all this time, wanting to give it to you on a special day like today."

A wave of emotion washed over Kirlia's red eyes. It carefully used its psychic powers to fasten the hair clip to its side, ripples of happiness spreading across its body. It excitedly leaped into its trainer's arms, a gentle telepathic connection resonating directly in Zhang Jianying's mind: "Thank you, Jianying... This is the best gift I've ever received."

The gift for the grass turtle is an ancient fossil pendant, which has been polished into the shape of a leaf by skilled craftsmen and strung on a special mineral chain.

"This is a fossil we found together in the forest where we met you," Zhang Jianying said, carefully attaching a pendant to it. "I think it's a lot like you, with the sedimentation of time and the vitality of life. It suits you perfectly, turtle."

The little turtle gently touched the pendant on its chest with its front paws. The usually calm turtle showed unusual excitement, and the seedling on its head swayed happily. Since it couldn't speak, it used actions instead of words, affectionately rubbing against its trainer's palm, its eyes filled with "great satisfaction".

"Alright, you two little ones," Zhang Jianying stood up, waving his hand triumphantly, "The gifts are all given out. Now, let's enjoy the champion's reward! Elbow, tonight's expenses are all on me!"

"Chiru!"

"Woo~"

Kirlia and Turtwig cheered and happily followed behind their trainer. Kirlia would occasionally use her psychic powers to create a small mirror, admiring her new hair clip with delight; Turtwig, on the other hand, would lower its head every few steps to check if the pendant on its chest was secure.

Filled with joy at receiving their thoughtful gifts, they arrived at the largest Pokémon item shop in Celebration City. The bright lights and dazzling array of goods instantly ignited Zhang Jianying's shopping enthusiasm. He pushed a specially designed, widened shopping cart, Kirlia gracefully floating beside him, its new hair clip sparkling under the lights. Turtwig also perched on the small seat specially designed for Pokémon in the shopping cart, curiously looking around.

Their first stop was the TM area. Zhang Jianying began his "sweep" with gusto: "Taunt? Buy! Invisible Rock? Damn, buy! Light Wall, Shadow Ball, Trick Room, Stomp... Buy, buy, buy!"

He was completely absorbed in planning a grand future for his companions. Whenever he saw a TM that the two little ones could theoretically learn, regardless of whether they needed it right now, he would add it to his shopping cart without hesitation. The TMs piled up higher and higher, and in the blink of an eye, they were almost as tall as the Turtwig.

Zhang Jianying didn't notice at all that the grass turtle's eyes had changed from initial anticipation to shock, and finally to utter despair.

Staring at the ever-growing "mountain of skills" before it, the tortoise's eyes widened in terror, and it froze completely. A silent lament echoed in its mind: "What I love most is eating, sleeping, and sunbathing... With so many skills, when will I ever finish learning them all?!"

It seemed to see its leisurely time being replaced by endless training, and the entire turtle turned grayish-white at a visible speed, exuding a low pressure of despair.

Kirlia helplessly used her psychic powers to steady the teetering "mountain of skills" in the shopping cart. Sensing the trainer's excited emotions and the Turtwig's near-collapse, it gently tugged at the trainer's clothes as he continued his frantic shopping spree, and pointed with its eyes at the petrified Turtwig.

Zhang Jianying turned around, paused for a moment, and asked with concern, "What's wrong, Turtle? With so many powerful skills you can use, aren't you happy? Don't worry about money, I just checked, our budget is more than enough!"

"Oh, and there's also the grass slide. I've already asked someone to find it in the restock area. Once you learn how to use it, you'll be able to make a quick breakthrough! How about that, aren't you touched?"

a bolt from the blue!

The tortoise looked at its trainer with despair, its eyes filled with accusation. If it could sense things, it would surely be wailing, "They say a tortoise with a brain that doesn't use it is practically brainless, but this is what you call not using your brain at all! You're trying to train it to death!"

In the end, the tortoise chose to give up struggling, lying motionless on the seat, quietly becoming a salted fish that lived a life of peace and tranquility...

Seeing this, Kirlia could no longer maintain her elegant demeanor and burst into laughter, the telepathic connection between them rippling with joy.

Zhang Jianying was still proudly sharing his "life experience": "Skills are like engine displacement in a car—you can not use them, but you can't be without them when you need them! These are valuable experiences that I, your trainer, have summarized. Learn from them, little guys."

This whimsical analogy completely broke Kirlia's defenses, making her laugh so hard she almost had to hold onto the shopping cart to steady herself. Meanwhile, Turtwig lay completely flat on its seat, its adorable round eyes darting around.

……

When Zhang Jianying reached the area for new Pokémon equipment, his shopping enthusiasm finally cooled down a bit, and he regained his usual composure.

He carefully selected a new prop called "Moss Rock" for the grass turtle, which is said to be a newly developed technological product.

Spending a long time training nearby can effectively increase the accumulation of Grass and Ground-type energy. The Turtwig cautiously approached, sniffed with its nose, and touched it with its paw. After repeatedly confirming that this thing did not need to learn any new skills, it finally "came back to life" and affectionately rubbed against the rock.

Next, he selected the latest "Psychic Amplifier" for Kirlia, an exquisite forehead ornament that could help it more stably control its excessively large psychic powers.

Seeing Kirlia happily adorned with her new equipment, her body radiating psychic light and her control becoming increasingly precise, Zhang Jianying nodded in satisfaction.

After completing this satisfying shopping spree, he packed all the items away and sent the notes to the Pokémon Center where they were staying. Then, he took the two little ones to their next destination—a "Pokémon-themed restaurant."

In the cozy private room of the restaurant, Zhang Jianying not only ordered a sumptuous trainer set meal, but also specially asked the chef to prepare the two little ones' favorite special dishes.

"Here you go, turtle, this is your favorite premium mineral-rich meal, with lots of rare tree fruits and mineral powder added!"

He carefully divided the food into small, easy-to-eat portions for the baby turtles.

The grass turtle was moved to tears. Although the nightmare of the "TM Nightmare" had lingered in its mind for a moment, it was instantly forgotten by the delicious food in front of it and began to eat heartily.

"Kirlia, this is a special Psychic Salad made for Psychic-type Pokémon, and your favorite dessert, Colorful Berry Cake."

Zhang Jianying cut the cake for it and thoughtfully stuck a small flag with a butterfly on it.

Kirlia gracefully manipulated the cutlery with its psychic powers, savoring its meal. Occasionally, it would use its powers to scoop up a spoonful of cake and feed it to its trainer, leaving Zhang Jianying both amused and exasperated: "Who's taking care of whom here?"

During the meal, Zhang Jianying suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, "To be honest, Turtle looked really cool protecting Kirlia today. It's just that he was a bit too jealous."

The tortoise, who was intently drinking MooMoo Milk, nearly choked upon hearing this, its face turning red as it protested vehemently. Kirlia, on the other hand, covered its mouth and chuckled softly, the gem on its hairpin swaying gently with its movements, reflecting a soft halo under the light.

……

After leaving the restaurant, Zhang Jianying took the two Pokémon to the open-air observation deck on the top floor of the Pokémon Center. Under the night sky, the city of Celebration was ablaze with lights, like scattered stars, reflecting against the tranquil night sky.

"You all did an excellent job today."

Zhang Jianying said softly, placing the heavy championship trophy between them, "This championship has never belonged to me alone; it belongs to us."

Kiruri nestled quietly beside him, her sky-blue hair swaying gently in the cool night breeze. Through telepathy, she conveyed a tender yet resolute message: "With you by my side, no matter what kind of opponent we face, we can overcome them together."

Although the grass turtle still looked lazy, lying on the ground, its eyes gleamed with a light that was completely different from usual.

It walked over to its trainer, patted its hard shell with its paw, making a "thump-thump" sound, as if to say, "Turtle, I will always protect everyone like this."

The stars twinkled in the night sky, and on this special night, the bond between the three lives grew stronger and warmer.

"Kirullian, do me and Turtle a favor," Zhang Jianying suddenly suggested. "Use your superpower to leave our handprints on the trophy. In the future, we might have more partners and win more trophies. We'll record it every time."

Kirlia responded gently, its eyes gleaming with blue light. It delicately guided the Trainer's hand and Turtwig's front paws with its psychic powers, pressing them lightly onto the smooth side of the trophy, leaving clear handprints and claw marks. Finally, between the two marks, it gently imprinted its own tiny mark.

"Elbow! After a long day of fighting, relax! Tonight I'll personally give you a full-body spa treatment!" After returning to his comfortable room at the Elf Center, Zhang Jianying rolled up his sleeves and walked into the bathroom with great enthusiasm.

"Come on, turtle, let me give you a full shell care treatment first." He first used a soft brush to carefully clean the fine scratches left by today's battle and the dust in the crevices of the shell, and then evenly applied a special mineral care agent and carefully polished it.

"You had a tough day in the match, GouGou. Especially those few times you took the hits from the bear armor, it hurt just watching it."

After finishing the shell care, he patiently massaged the turtle's body and limbs. The turtle made a very comfortable purring sound, and the leaves on its head swayed gently with the massage.

At this moment, Kirlia is using her superpowers to organize the large number of items she purchased today in her room.

It meticulously categorizes all TMs by attributes and uses, then connects them to the Pokédex, transferring and backing up all internal data to the Pokédex's database.

After confirming that all data had been completely read, it neatly stacked the used and dull-looking skill machine casings together, ready to hand them over to Ms. Joey for environmental recycling the next day.

After doing all that, it turned around and began to tidy up the trainer's slightly messy bed, making sure the blankets were neatly laid out.

At this moment, the Turtwig, swaying and exuding the fresh scent of care products, emerged from the bathroom and contentedly lay down on its soft, small-to-medium-sized Pokémon bed, beginning its daily, unwavering pre-sleep relaxation time.

"Your turn, Kirullian," Zhang Jianying called from the bathroom.

In the bathroom, as he carefully combed and trimmed Kirlia's slightly overgrown bangs, he noticed that she was using her superpowers to protect the new hair clip, as if afraid it would get wet. He couldn't help but smile and said, "Don't worry, I'll give you even more beautiful hair accessories in the future, so you can wear a different one every day."

Kirlia immediately responded telepathically, gently yet firmly: "No... this is the most special. It is the witness to the beginning of our journey."

Zhang Jianying paused, then her movements became even gentler: "Okay, little one, I'll do whatever you say."

In the stillness of the night, moonlight streamed into the room through the window like quicksilver. Zhang Jianying was awakened by a very slight noise. He opened his eyes groggily and found Kirlia gently tucking the blanket around him, while Torterra, who had also woken up sometime earlier, was quietly guarding the bedside.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked softly, still sleepy.

Kirlia pointed to the bright, clear moon outside the window, a dreamy, nostalgic feeling washing over her in a telepathic connection: "The moonlight is beautiful tonight... It reminds me of when I was still inside my Pokémon egg, surrounded by a sense of security..."

The grass turtle gave a soft hum of agreement, gently touching the fossil pendant on its chest with its paw; the cool touch made it feel incredibly safe.

Zhang Jianying's heart was touched to the deepest part. He sat up, opened his arms, and embraced the two little ones.

"Do you know?" His voice sounded exceptionally clear and sincere in the quiet night, "The luckiest and most correct thing I've ever done in my life is to meet you all."

He gently stroked Kirlia's soft hair, then patted the Turtwig's firm, warm shell: "The hair clip and pendant are more than just gifts. They represent the path we've walked together, symbols of memories and feelings that no one can replace. No matter what difficulties we encounter in the future, as long as the three of us are together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome."

The three hands (claws) are stacked together again, and the hair clip and pendant reflect each other in the clear moonlight, as if they have been infused with life.

At this moment, all honors, rewards, and consumption fade into the distant background. Only this sincere feeling of fighting side by side and trusting each other shines brightly in the quiet night, eternally undiminished.

The tortoise glanced at the pile of empty TMs in the corner, waiting to be collected tomorrow, then looked up at its most important trainer and partner beside it. As if it had made up its mind, it sighed resignedly.

It gently touched the fossil pendant on its chest with its paw. Well, for the sake of the important people, I, the turtle, will reluctantly learn a few more new skills—although deep down, it still felt that a leisurely life of eating and sleeping was the ultimate ideal of a turtle's life.

The gentle moonlight bathed the room, draping them in a silvery veil. This night, filled with their unconditional companionship, felt exceptionally warm, peaceful, and hopeful.