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

That night, the cold wind howled outside the cave, but inside the tree hollow, the warmth of the dry grass and the body maintained a fragile warmth.

After eating that precious mango, not only did my hunger disappear, but a strange warm current flowed through my limbs and bones, dispelling the last bit of chill and weakness.

"Could it be that the HP recovery effect shown by the cheat code also works on humans?" Zhang Jianying wondered to himself. This was undoubtedly an unexpected surprise.

He opened his eyes and, using the faint light filtering through the gaps in the makeshift shelter, looked around.

Ralts was curled up in the haystack, fast asleep, its azure hair rising and falling gently with its breath. Meanwhile, the Night Hawk remained like a loyal sentinel near the cave entrance, its broad body silently shielding it from the lingering chill.

He couldn't help but recall the evening. After eating the fruit and regaining his strength, it wasn't completely dark yet. Using his past experience in wilderness survival, he tore open the fabric of his tattered backpack and hastily draped it over himself to keep warm. Then he ventured out and collected as many branches and dry grass as possible, painstakingly reinforcing and covering the entrance to the tree hole.

Although it could only be completed hastily before darkness fell and the snowstorm intensified, the effect was already evident—the temperature inside the cave was much more stable than before.

He especially remembered the surprised and slightly curious looks in Ralts and Nighthawk's eyes when he returned with hay and branches and began setting up the entrance to the cave.

Ralts moved even closer, her crimson eyes reflecting the flickering firelight (the campfire that was barely lit with magical flames) and his busy figure, her gaze filled with curiosity.

Thinking of its excited and innocent eyes at that moment, Zhang Jianying couldn't help but smile slightly. What an incredible and endearing creature!

With this warmth in his heart, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

……

At dawn, the sounds of cooing and popping echoed through the forest, announcing the start of a new day.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the cave entrance's cover, casting dappled patterns of light inside. Zhang Jianying awoke, his hand instinctively reaching out to touch a cold stone.

Once fully conscious, he stared at the empty tree hollow and the stone in his hand, lost in thought. "Where are Ralts and Noctowl?"

Immediately, his attention was completely drawn to the stone in his hand. Inside the stone, it seemed as if a magnificent nebula was sealed, with a pattern at its core resembling an abstract bow, emitting a faint, warm light.

His memories as a seasoned Pokémon enthusiast were instantly awakened, and an unbelievable thought assaulted his mind.

"Are you kidding me?"

He muttered to himself, "In my past life, I never even won a lottery ticket worth more than five yuan in over twenty years. Now, not only have I survived a near-death experience and transmigrated, but I also encountered a shiny Ralts at the start and even picked up a Mega Evolution Stone? This luck... won't it shorten my lifespan?"

He suddenly focused his mind and activated the cheat system again, and a semi-transparent data frame appeared in his field of vision:

Gardevoir Evolution Stone

[Effect: A keystone containing special energy resonates with the corresponding evolution stone held by a Pokémon, allowing Gardevoir to evolve into Mega Gardevoir during battle.]

After confirming it three times, Zhang Jianying finally accepted the fact.

He rubbed his face vigorously, trying to calm himself down: "Hmm, I even managed to experience a one-in-a-billion chance like time travel, so being lucky... seems pretty reasonable?"

Even so, it still feels like a dream.

He carefully put away the evolution stone along with the empty Poké Ball, only then noticing that Ralts and Noctowl were not nearby.

"Did you go out to find food?"

He felt uneasy, worried that they might encounter accidents if they went out.

Taking advantage of the clear morning weather and the temporary respite from the snow, he put on the few tattered pieces of cloth that barely kept him warm and walked out of the tree hollow.

On the snow, several clear, small footprints pointed into the depths of the forest.

Without much hesitation, Zhang Jianying decided to follow the footprints. He was worried about the safety of Ralts and the others, and he also urgently needed to understand the surrounding environment to find traces of humans or a stable source of food and water.

He took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air and followed the trail of solitary little footprints into the forest after the snow had cleared.

……

Meanwhile, in a more open clearing in the forest, the chief of the Nighthawks stood before a flock of Cuckoos and Nighthawks. His expression was serious, and he was chirping softly, seemingly conveying some important message.

After it finished speaking, two older-looking nightjars with darker feathers flew over, approached the chieftain, and made worried cooing sounds:

"Chief, it's not that we don't want to take Ralts in. It's a kind child, we all know that. But... lately there have been too many strange humans acting suspiciously in the forest, people who don't seem like proper trainers. They're brutal and greedy. The Bebop family next door was kidnapped by them with some weird device just a few days ago!"

Another older nightjar added, "There are too many young larvae in the pack who haven't even grown up yet. They're attached to this forest they've lived in for generations and don't want to leave. Are we really going to put the entire pack at such a huge risk for a Ralts that isn't even one of our kind?"

The Nighthawk chieftain remained silent, his gaze falling on Ralts, who stood not far away in the snow, head bowed, her little hands nervously twisted together.

It could see the small figure trembling slightly. After a moment's hesitation, the clan leader spread its wings and flew to Ralts, its voice low and full of apology:

"Child, it's not that I don't welcome you. From the day you suddenly appeared in the forest and hatched from the fairy egg, the first thing you saw was me. I've always considered you part of my kind."

Its gaze swept over the worried members of its tribe behind it, its voice heavy, "But as the chieftain, I must be responsible for the safety of the entire tribe. They don't want to leave their homeland to face those humans outside, so different from the boy you met last night. Those humans only have greed and possessiveness in their eyes."

It gently brushed its wing against Ralts's sky-blue hair: "You're special, child. Your color, your potential, all make you an easier target. I'm sorry..."

As a Psychic-type Pokémon with naturally keen senses, Ralts is intelligent enough to understand this complex situation.

It could clearly sense the helplessness and heavy responsibility in the chieftain's words, as well as the fear and unease that permeated the tribe behind it.

It neither cried nor made a fuss.

She simply took two steps forward silently, stretched out her small arms, and gently hugged the broad body of the Owl Chieftain.

It raised its head, its crimson eyes brimming with glistening tears, yet it struggled to hold them back. In a trembling voice, yet with immense tenderness, it spoke:

"Raru, Raru!" (Thank you, Chieftain. I understand. Thank you so much for your care and concern all this time. I will definitely repay your kindness in the future!)

Upon hearing this, the clan leader trembled slightly and remained silent for a long time. Finally, it returned a gentle embrace with its wings, then pecked a long-treasured feather from the inside of its wing—a feather that was slightly dull in color but contained a special aura—and solemnly presented it to Ralts.

"Coo coo..." (Take this with you, child. Legend has it that Lord Ho-Oh guides creatures with kind hearts and hope down the rainbow path. May it bring you good fortune.)

Ralts reached out her little hand and carefully took the feather that carried both blessings and farewell, clutching it tightly to her chest.

It took one last deep look at the chieftain and the tribe, then turned around, fighting back tears, and with firm steps, slowly walked back the way it had come, heading towards the unknown, vast snowfield.

……

On the other side, Zhang Jianying followed the footprints in the snow with difficulty. Along the way, he saw many wild Pokémon: Pokémon and Spearow leaping among the bare branches, a swarm of Beedrill patrolling low in the sky, and the Rattata family darting quickly through the snow. The cold weather had kept most Grass-type Pokémon out of sight.

He also found several trees with withered grapefruits hanging from them. He spent some effort picking a few, keeping some for himself and deliberately placing the rest in places where gentle Pokémon often appeared.

As he crossed a snow-covered canyon, pondering his next move, a solitary, slowly moving white dot in the snow ahead caught his eye.

It's Ralts!

His heart tightened, and he quickly ran after it. "Ralts!"

Ralts stopped and turned around when it heard the call. It saw Zhang Jianying, seemed a little surprised, hesitated for a moment, and then walked towards him.

"Ralts, what happened? Where's Night Hawk?" Zhang Jianying crouched down and asked with concern.

Ralts raised her head, and beneath her sky-blue hair, her crimson eyes held a lingering sadness.

It stared at Zhang Jianying, as if confirming something. A moment later, a faint and intermittent telepathic connection directly linked to Zhang Jianying's consciousness:

"I...cannot, drag them down with me."

Zhang Jianying looked at it in surprise: "This is... your telepathy?"

Ralts nodded slightly. It began to use its halting telepathic communication, combined with vivid body language, to tell Zhang Jianying everything about the Night Hawk clan's predicament, the Periton family's plight, the clan's worries, and the chieftain's unavoidable choice.

Listening to Ralts's story, Zhang Jianying fell silent. He understood the Nighthawk chieftain's dilemma and gained a deeper understanding of the potential shadows behind this seemingly beautiful utopian world.

Looking at the small figure before him, who had just been kindly expelled from his "homeland" but harbored no resentment and instead understood and bore everything alone, he felt a deep sense of pity and a strange resonance—they were both lonely wanderers in this world.

He took a deep breath, a bright and determined smile spreading across his face, and solemnly extended his hand to Ralts:

"Don't worry, Ralts. Since you don't know where to go, and I know nothing about this world either, I'm also searching for direction."

His voice was warm and powerful, like sunlight piercing through ice and snow.

"So, would you... come with me? Would you accompany me to see this vast and unknown world, and experience all the adventures of the future together?"

Ralts tilted its head back, its eyes, hidden beneath its bowl cut bangs, were initially somewhat hazy, but the sensitive horns on its head clearly captured the enthusiasm, cheerfulness, and genuine sincerity overflowing from the boy's heart.

It was an invitation, a promise, and more like a flame called "bond" ignited in the vast expanse of ice and snow.

Without hesitation, it firmly raised its little hand and slowly, yet resolutely, placed it in the boy's warm and generous palm.

Zhang Jianying looked at it. At this moment, Ralts stood quietly in the snow, like a flower bud in the morning mist, its unique color inadvertently tinged by fate, its petite skirt fluttering gently in the wind.

Its frosty skin was not pale and colorless, but rather like the pale hue left on the snow after the moonlight melts at dawn.

Those crimson eyes, like gentle flowers blooming on a snowfield, held a deep sadness of knowing the parting and the difficulties ahead, yet also sparkled with anticipation for a new journey.

In his eyes, it was not an unusually colored sprite, but rather a drop of gentle ink that fell from the mind of Arceus, the creator god, when he was depicting the world, quietly spreading out and forming a unique little miracle in the vast world.

The morning light is lush and vibrant, its radiance flowing and shifting.

The boy carefully took out the old, empty Poké Ball from his pocket and gently placed it in front of Ralts.

"If you're willing to trust me, this is where our journey begins."

Ralts looked at the red and white sphere in front of her, then looked up at her reflection in the boy's eyes.

It stretched out its little hand and, without the slightest hesitation, gently touched the button in the center of the Poké Ball.

A soft red light shone out, enveloping its small form and transforming it into energy, which was then absorbed into the Poké Ball. The Poké Ball landed in Zhang Jianying's palm and began to sway gently.

One, two, three...

"Thump!"

A crisp, melodious locking sound rang out in the silent snow valley, like the tolling of a bell signaling a new chapter.

Zhang Jianying excitedly raised the Poké Ball, and like countless veteran trainers, with barely suppressed excitement and a touch of youthful exuberance, loudly proclaimed:

"Breaking out of its shell - GET☆DAZE!"

(Ralts: The Mood Pokémon. It can keenly sense its trainer's mood, and it is said that it will dance when its trainer is happy.)

At this moment, the celestial orbits converge, and the notes of destiny are quietly plucked. The boy and his destined companion embark on their own journey, full of unknowns and possibilities.

Zhang Jianying eagerly pressed the button again. A red light flashed, and Ralts reappeared. He carefully picked it up, his eyes filled with tenderness and promise.

"Nice to meet you from now on, Ralts!"

"Ralu!"

Ralts' eyes crinkled into a smile, as if the sadness had been dispelled. It responded softly, then a faint psychic glow emanated from its body. Its small body floated lightly, finally landing steadily and affectionately on Zhang Jianying's shoulder—the spot closest to its partner's heart.

"Alright! Then—" Feeling the small yet heavy weight and trust on his shoulders, Zhang Jianying pointed confidently into the distance.

"Let's go! Ralts, let's go see this vast world together!"

"Ralts! Ralts!" (Okay! Together!) Ralts responded to its trainer with a clear and expectant cry.

Under the morning light, the boy and the strangely colored sprite that landed on his shoulder walked through the snow, leaving two lines of footprints that stretched into the bright future ahead.