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

Another two weeks later, in the warm sunshine of the backyard of the Elf Center in the early morning, Zhang Jianying was making final preparations for his departure.

The two weeks of rest and adjustment have left changes on every Pokémon, the most significant of which is the change in Bellatrix.

The ice that had formed deep within Baby Dragon's heart due to trauma finally cracked a little with the warm companionship of the three little ones and their trainer day after day.

A sense of security and belonging, like timid vines, climbed along the cracks in the baby dragon's icy heart. It also began to tentatively reveal the nature suppressed by its cruel experiences:

That stubborn and domineering possessiveness and strong competitive spirit that belong to the dragon-type pseudo-gods.

Baby Dragon is no longer content with just being accepted; it craves to be seen, to be recognized, and to have a unique place in its trainer's heart.

Zhang Jianying and the three little ones observed all of Baby Dragon's subtle changes...

At the entrance of the Pokémon Center, Zhang Jianying watched as Kirlia used her psychic powers to deftly levitate several neatly packed bags and precisely stack them together, her movements fluid and effortless.

Kirlia's posture didn't resemble that of someone packing her bags; rather, it looked like she was organizing her throne.

Finally, it landed lightly on top of the most stable duffel bag, its skirt spread out, its knees together, and its small hands resting gracefully on its knees.

The sunlight shone on it, giving it a halo.

It simply sat there quietly, exuding an aura of composure and reliability. Kirlia, like a queen seated on her throne, silently proclaimed who was the most indispensable and trusted core of the team.

Kirlia could feel the increasingly intense gaze behind her. She understood the baby dragon's desire to prove itself, and even felt a little relieved, after all, it was better than the initial fear and withdrawal.

For the past two weeks, it has tacitly approved and even encouraged this harmless competition, defusing one minor provocation after another with tolerance.

But at this moment, it deliberately maintained this aloof and arrogant attitude because it had noticed that the baby dragon's competitive spirit was beginning to be mixed with a crazy and obsessive tendency.

This little guy hasn't learned his place yet, and the trainer is human; they get tired and feel pain. It must make the baby dragon understand that true status comes from indispensable protection, not from childish squabbles.

Kirlia's elegant and noble appearance deeply stung the sensitive eyes of a certain blue dragon.

The baby dragon squatted on the grass not far away, letting out a dissatisfied "woo-woo" sound from its throat.

Just a few minutes ago, it tried to help but almost headbutted the luggage, and Zhang Jianying had no choice but to drag it aside and tell it to "just stay put".

BabyDragon sees this as "discrimination."

In addition, Kirlia's omnipresent and effortless demeanor was like tiny thorns pricking at the proud heart of Baby Dragon.

In the past two weeks, this kind of silent "battle for status" has been staged more than once.

It stared at the figure on the "throne," its scarlet pupils burning with an indomitable flame, and also with a restless anxiety about being marginalized.

Why is Kirlia able to sit in such a prominent position? Why does it receive all those trusting gazes?

A thought took shape in its obsessive mind: My precious dragon, it also needs a unique place! A place that's higher than that luggage bag, closer to its trainer, and that better showcases its presence!

……

Thus began the journey to Sandstone Town in this subtle atmosphere. Zhang Jianying began to wonder if he had traveled to the wrong world. The art style was not like Pokémon at all, but rather like he had traveled into a palace drama.

He soon discovered that the journey had exhausted him, primarily physically.

It wasn't that the road was difficult, nor that he encountered any formidable enemies, but rather that the two leading actors, who were locked in a fierce battle, were none other than his "Queen," whom he dared not offend.

Furthermore, one of them is actually testing his waist strength with his actions.

During the first rest break, Zhang Jianying had just found a flat rock to sit on when he habitually gestured to Kirlia, who had been using her telekinesis to probe ahead and was expending a considerable amount of energy, wanting her to come and rest.

Kirullian floated gracefully closer.

Right now!

"Whoosh—Bang!"

A blue shadow, with an unstoppable aura, made a move that surprised everyone and the Pokémon.

Baby Dragon suddenly sprang up and landed squarely on Zhang Jianying's back! The sudden heaviness made his vision go black, and his back creaked under the strain, almost causing him to fall backward in a "sand-sand-goose" pose.

Even though it's a size smaller than its kind, Baby Dragon still weighs a solid nearly 30 kilograms! Its 50-centimeter-long, sturdy body leaped up like a cannonball and hung on his back.

Two tiny paws clung tightly to his clothes, while her chin rested heavily on his head, making a sharp "crack" sound on his neck.

Zhang Jianying: "!!!"

He felt like he wasn't carrying a Pokémon, but rather half a bag of cement, which had been suddenly thrown at him!

At this moment, his admiration for the legendary trainer from Pallet Town's domineering physique was like a surging river, endless and boundless.

After all, that guy is a monster who can carry Bangiras on his shoulder without breaking a sweat, hold 999 kilograms of Cosmom like a brick, and take a bath in 100,000 Voltstri...

Compared to that person, my body, which had been trained but was still within the range of a normal human, was like a crispy golden chicken meeting a Predator.

A bizarre thought even popped into Zhang Jianying's mind: should he catch a Pikachu and try "Lightning Tempering"? Maybe he could develop an indestructible body, so he wouldn't get "sat" to death by his own Pokémon one day...

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he became even more depressed.

Pikachu are supposed to be as common as stray dogs on the street, so how come I haven't encountered a single high-quality yellow hair after traveling for so long...?

"Woohoo!"

Baby Dragon lay on Zhang Jianying's body, letting out a short but loud cry. Its scarlet pupils swept down at Kirlia, who had just landed, with a look of provocation in them.

"See that? This unique and supreme position is mine!"

It tries its best to proclaim its existence, as if this can fill the unease in its heart and firmly grasp this hard-won warmth.

Kirlia's hovering motion in mid-air came to a complete halt.

It looked at the blue pendant that occupied the trainer's entire back, making the trainer's body visibly sag and even distorting their expression.

The calm in her crimson eyes was finally broken, a hint of long-suppressed dissatisfaction and a fleeting worry flashing across her face.

"As expected, he still doesn't know how to control his strength. He'll get hurt like this."

The thought flashed through Kirlia's mind.

Its previous gentle guidance strategy seemed somewhat inadequate in the face of the trainer's genuine groans.

Kirullian realized that sometimes a more explicit and direct approach was needed to set boundaries for some stubborn little ones.

It took a deep breath, and the originally gentle aura of superpowers around it became sharp as a knife at a visible speed, and the temperature in the air seemed to drop by several degrees.

"Ooh!! Something terrible has happened!"

The forest tortoise beside them let out a mournful cry as if its neck had been choked, its massive body trembling violently, its four legs shaking like leaves.

Its enormous head slid completely into its shell in a flash, leaving not even a gap.

The entire turtle transformed into a trembling, moving hill.

My inner monologue was screaming: I'm going to die! I'm going to die! Little sister, you're flirting with death! The boss is angry! It's really angry! I can feel the killing intent! Boss, help! I'm still young, I don't want to become a braised turtle!

"Hehehehe?! Holy crap! A head-on attack?! This girl's move was absolutely amazing!"

Gastly was so frightened that it let out a "pop" sound, like a punctured balloon, and instantly dispersed into a cloud of terrified purple smoke.

It took a long time for it to barely re-form a dull, almost transparent ghost face that was still trembling in a wavy pattern.

It hovered anxiously in a spiral around the forest tortoise, whispering incoherently to it, its voice trembling:

"Heh heh heh! Turtle! Turtle! I can't take it anymore! The air pressure is too low! I feel like I'm going to freeze into an ice cube! Go break up the fight! Your defense is high!"

"Ugh! Ugh! I'm not going! Absolutely not! What's the use of high defense! Big Sister deals true damage! It pierces the soul! You go if you want, but you'd better run away quickly!"

"Heh, no matter how fast I run, I can't outrun teleportation... Oh no, the boss looks like he's about to be crushed. Is our family going to fall apart? Should we split our bags and run away...?"

Zhang Jianying felt the solid, thirty-kilogram weight on his back, constantly adjusting his posture to try and sit more comfortably. There were also the clothes that were so tight he could barely breathe, and the silent yet immense pressure from Kirulian in front of him, like the calm before a storm.

Then I looked to the side and saw two lovable clowns: one trying to shrink into the earth's core, and the other about to scare himself out of his wits.

He was utterly despondent, his mind a jumble of Arceus thoughts.

He just wanted to travel quietly and maybe make a home visit to the professor! Why did the atmosphere in the group suddenly become so stressful and mentally taxing?

To find some humor in his predicament, he pictured Dr. Yamanashi's perpetually unchanging poker face.

Imagine if this serious doctor saw that he had brought not only a problematic baby dragon, but also a chaotic scene. Would his usually serious face break down?

Thinking of this, Zhang Jianying actually felt that his lower back was no longer sore and his legs had regained strength, and he felt a sense of schadenfreude.

Zhang Jianying tried to move it slightly, wanting to adjust the position of this heavy "love," but the baby dragon immediately growled in dissatisfaction, clinging even tighter, its little claws tearing at his clothes with a mournful "rip."

That heavy feeling made him realize once again what it meant to have "an unbearable weight of life".

Kirlia remained silent.

It simply and slowly, with extreme elegance, re-levitated, changing to a position closer to Zhang Jianying, almost parallel to him.

It floated even slightly above the baby dragon's head, then closed its eyes and continued meditating.

It no longer concealed its aura; the invisible force field was like a gentle cage, not intended to harm, but rather a silent declaration.

The baby dragon's scales stood on end with a "whoosh," but it stubbornly held its neck high, letting out a threatening growl, declaring with its actions: "You can claim your territory, but I can ride you!"

Zhang Jianying: "..."

Silently flipping through his grudge notebook:

"[Date], Sunny. My little dragon, spoiled and arrogant, insisted on riding me, severely damaging my lumbar discs. Wait until it evolves into a Salamence, then I'll get my revenge! I, Zhang, will remember this grudge!"

He took a deep breath, struggling against the pull of gravity on his lumbar spine, while giving Kirlia a look that said, "Help, my back is going to break," and helplessly patted the heavy, hard "dragon pendant" on his back.

He felt like the monkey about to be crushed under the Five Finger Mountain, suffering both physical and mental torment.

"Let's go..."

His voice carried a hint of exhaustion, a touch of hoarseness, and a hint of resignation.

Thus, on the forest path leading to True Sand Town, a bizarre scene unfolded that would make any insect-catching boy take notice:

A human trainer, slightly hunched over and struggling to walk, carries a proud dragon on his back, its head held high as if it were inspecting its newly conquered territory.

A Kirlia floats beside him, eyes closed in meditation, yet exuding an aura of power.

Beside it, a giant forest tortoise curled itself into a tight fortress, walking with utmost care, as if it wanted to plow the ground with its shell.

A Gastly resembles a pale, ghostly figure whose soul has been ripped away, its color so dull it almost blends into the background.

"Ugh, Gui Gui, is Boss's back still there? I feel like his walking posture is off, like he's walking with the same leg on the same side..."

"Heh...heh heh, wow, the boss's back might just be a minor injury...but our spirits have been severely damaged! This atmosphere is even scarier than the Night Demon in the Hundred Generations Forest, I feel like I'm about to lose my physical form!"

"Hmm! Hang in there! Ghost! As long as we keep minimizing our presence, the war won't reach us!"

Listening to Kirlia's telepathic relay of the trembling "encrypted call" between the turtle and the ghost in his mind, he felt waves of tingling and numbness in his back and stiffness in his neck.

Zhang Jianying looked ahead at the seemingly endless uphill road and sighed deeply.

This trainer is truly... a master at training people's physical fitness.

By the way, I remember before I transmigrated here, the official version was already up to the tenth generation, and Raichu seemed to have gained two more forms...

If I were to come across one, should I seriously consider getting a Pikachu and trying out the "Lightning Tempering" technique to strengthen its physique?