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

Just as Zhang Jianying suddenly understood and was busy thanking Professor Oak...

"Boom—!"

The terrifying commotion of a herd of Tauren came from the backyard, interspersed with what seemed to be some kind of joyful, grotesque laughter.

Zhang Jianying looked out the window and everything went black.

Gastly pulled out a conspicuous old red tablecloth from some pile of junk. Using its purple ghost energy, it conjured a cowboy hat worn askew on its head, and mist outlined a flowing scarf on its chest.

Our purple Oddity King is excitedly waving a red cloth and letting out a highly provocative howl, putting on a bullfighting show against the astonishing army of Tauros in Professor Oak's backyard!

Enraged by Gastly's smug appearance, the Tauros lowered their heads, their horns gleaming coldly, their nostrils flaring, and their hooves pawing the ground, forming a terrifying charging formation as they launched a massive, earth-shaking charge at the swaying red cloth!

"Ghoststone! Stop it!"

Zhang Jianying felt her blood pressure soaring, and her voice was barely audible amidst the rumbling noise.

Gastly chuckled wickedly, floating in place as the Tauros charged over it, and then... the Tauros, unable to stop, crashed headfirst into the fence of Professor Oak's backyard.

Zhang Jianying slapped her face.

On the other hand, the forest turtles have taken on a completely different style.

The lush green bushes on its back, radiating an alluring life energy, successfully attracted the group of curious children in the research institute, led by Squirtle.

Several young Squirtle turtles tried to use its thick shell as a slide, while others excitedly sprayed its battle-scarred, hard shell with weak water guns, seemingly helping to clean it.

However, when harassed by this group of "turtle bastards," the forest tortoise displayed a composure that was completely different from when it was letting loose with Gastly.

It showed no impatience, only emitting a low and tolerant call, like a kind elder brother facing his mischievous younger siblings, standing steadily in place.

The forest tortoise carefully controlled the bushes on its back, precisely conjuring a few vibrant fruits, which it rolled to the Squirtle that was causing the most trouble, trying to quell the small rebellion with food. Its eyes were filled with a helpless and gentle "Here, eat it, stop messing around."

Zhang Jianying remarked with a sigh, "Yes, Tortoises always seem to become surprisingly reliable when facing baby Pokémon."

Professor Oak looked out the window at the scene, and instead of stopping him, his eyes lit up as he quickly pulled out his Pokédex and began to record it:

"Oh! An astonishing phenomenon! Gastly's exquisite control over its phasing devices, and its instinctive, entertaining provocations!"

"And the forest tortoise, with its subtle allocation of life energy and its cross-species social inclusion behavior! It's so valuable!"

Zhang Jianying covered her forehead with her hand, unable to bear to look.

On the contrary, Professor Oak didn't care about the damage caused, after all, the damage he caused during his usual research was much greater. He was instead very interested in the novel scene before him.

Zhang Jianying's gaze inadvertently drifted to the television, where a news flash appeared: "It is reported that Ash Ketchum, the Pallet Town trainer who performed exceptionally well at the recently concluded Rainbow League Conference, has returned to the Kanto region. Sources suggest he hasn't stopped there, and his next plan may be to challenge the Battle Frontiers scattered throughout the various regions..."

The Rainbow Tournament has ended; now it's time for the Battle Frontier.

Zhang Jianying understood immediately; this confirmed his previous speculation. That familiar young man had embarked on a new chapter of his legendary life.

Just as Zhang Jianying was watching the news on TV and feeling emotional.

Professor Oak followed his gaze and smiled knowingly: "Are you concerned about this kid's whereabouts? Ash is a very busy man these days. He just finished challenging the Hoenn League and then rushed off to the Frontier. But judging by the time, he occasionally goes back to Pallet Town to rest, so you might run into him sometime."

He abruptly changed the subject, making a suggestion that surprised Zhang Jianying: "By the way, if you don't have any particularly urgent plans recently, why don't you stay here? There are empty rooms behind the research institute."

"Hmm? Is that okay?"

Zhang Jianying was somewhat surprised.

"certainly!"

Dr. Oak said enthusiastically, "On the one hand, Baby Dragon is just getting used to Everstone and new training concepts, so it needs a stable and safe environment to adapt and adjust initially. On the other hand, I can observe and record it nearby to ensure that the method is effective."

"On the other hand," he pointed to Gastly and Grovyle interacting with Tauros and Squirtle outside the window, "your other companions seem to enjoy the environment here as well."

"You can help me take care of the Pokémon in the backyard. This is a great form of training in itself, allowing you to calm down and gain a deeper understanding of the habits and needs of different Pokémon. This will be of great benefit to you in coordinating the entire team and dealing with the various challenges of the League Conference in the future."

This suggestion instantly won him over. Not only would it provide the best initial conditioning environment for his baby dragon, but it would also allow him to learn and mature at Professor Oak's research facility—an opportunity he couldn't have asked for!

"Thank you so much, Doctor! I will do my best to help and study hard."

"Haha, no need to be so polite. I'll go tidy up your room right away."

Professor Oak said this with a cheerful smile, then turned and went into the inner room.

Taking this opportunity, Zhang Jianying squatted down and handed the Everstone to the baby dragon.

"Did you hear that? The doctor has shown us a wonderful path."

He gazed into the baby dragon's eyes, his tone gentle yet firm, "We'll stay here for a while, take it slow, and learn together how to control the power within you, okay?"

Babydra stared intently at the Everstone, a thirst for power flashing in its eyes. Then, its gaze turned fiercely to Kirlia, who stood beside it with an elegant and aloof demeanor.

That look again! This guy always has this air of being completely at ease and superior!

Why should all the benefits and trust go to it? A flame, a mixture of resentment and intense competitive desire, ignited in its heart.

My precious dragon needs power! It needs the power to fully control this body! It needs to become stronger than that pretentious guy!

Only in this way can we completely occupy the most central position next to the trainer and trample this annoying "white lotus" under our feet!

"Whoa!!"

It let out a low growl, then suddenly poked its head out. Instead of taking it, it snatched the Everstone with a fierce bite, quickly took it from the jaws, and held it tightly in its arms.

Its voice towards Zhang Jianying remained defiant and wild, as if declaring, "This thing is mine! I will use it to become stronger! You just wait and see!"

Immediately afterwards, it cast a hostile and challenging look at Kirulian.

"Waaaaah! (▼he▼メ), you scheming green tea b*tch, you just wait!"

Kirlia calmly accepted the challenge, her crimson eyes remaining undisturbed. However, the invisible psychic field around her became even more concentrated, and she sent a disdainful response through telepathy.

"Ha, I'll wait and see."

Looking at Baby Dragon's almost "robbery" behavior and the escalating tension between the two little ones, Zhang Jianying felt somewhat helpless, but more than anything, she was looking forward to the future.

Although the problems weren't resolved immediately, and the internal turmoil within the family was far from over, at least in Pallet Town, they had found a haven where they could temporarily find refuge.

Perhaps here, he can better organize his thoughts, wait for Cynthia's follow-up contact, and lay a more solid foundation for the upcoming, never-easy, training with Master Gustav.

He stretched and yawned. "I'm starting to look forward to it!"