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

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, dancing on Zhang Jianying's face. He opened his eyes, looked at the ceiling, and realized this was his last day in Zhenxin Town.

"Umm~"

The forest tortoise had already woken up and was gently nudging the edge of his bed with its head. As the day of parting drew closer, the tortoise seemed to have more on its mind.

Zhang Jianying rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to find the Torterra staring longingly at the Poké Ball he had placed on his bedside table.

"What's wrong, turtle?" Zhang Jianying reached out and stroked its rough shell.

The Torterra let out a low growl, its gaze still fixed on the Poké Ball. Haunter peeked out from the shadows nearby, letting out a meaningful "heh-heh."

"Good morning, Gui Gui. What's up? Are you hiding something from me?"

Gastly spun in the air, pointed towards the direction where Shuttle was waiting outside the door, then pointed to the Poké Ball, and finally made a heart shape with its paw.

Zhang Jianying suddenly realized: "Turtle, you want Pot Pot to join us?"

"Mmm!" The forest turtle nodded immediately, its eyes lighting up.

Just then, there was a rustling sound outside the door. Hu Hu was slowly crawling across the corridor, its beady eyes peering curiously inside.

"Let's go," Zhang Jianying said, quickly putting on her coat. "Let's ask Hu Hu what she wants."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat awkward.

The baby dragon hugged its Everstone, but its eyes were fixed on the pot that was sipping its Power Cube. Suddenly, it grinned, leaned over, and poked the pot's shell with its paw.

"Woo-hoo!" Baby Dragon whispered, glancing furtively at Kirlia, who was enjoying her meal elegantly. "Another glass of juice, please?"

Shushu's beady eyes widened instantly, and it quickly shrank its entire body into its shell, leaving only a small gap to secretly observe Kirlia's reaction.

Sure enough, a cold gaze swept over. Although Kirlia maintained her elegant dining posture, the psychic field around her visibly fluctuated.

"Pfft..."

The pot trembled inside its shell.

Baby Dragon, still unwilling to give up, patted his little chest loudly and continued to reassure him, "Woohoo! Don't worry, I've got your back!"

"Bang!"

The next second, Baby Dragon was pressed to the floor by an invisible force of telekinesis, its four short legs flailing helplessly.

"Ugh..."

The forest tortoise sighed helplessly and gently nudged the pot-shaped shell closer to itself with its forelimbs, signaling it not to be afraid.

Gastly, in the distance, wished it could turn transparent. Recalling the terrible lesson it had learned yesterday, it cast a sympathetic glance at Baby Dragon.

Zhang Jianying shook his head with amusement: "Baby dragon, don't get any bad ideas. Potts, don't be afraid, Kirlia won't bully you for no reason."

Kirullian gave a soft hum, which was taken as acquiescence.

After breakfast, Zhang Jianying trained his Pokémon as usual. However, he noticed that the Torterra seemed distracted, frequently turning back to look in the direction of the research institute.

"Let's go find the pot."

Zhang Jianying patted its thick shell, "Trying to lure it over."

"Ugh!"

The forest turtle's eyes lit up, and it immediately trudged heavily toward the backyard of the research institute.

Watching its hurried retreating figure, Zhang Jianying seemed lost in thought. He turned to look at Gastly floating in the air: "You know something, right?"

"Hehehe~"

Gastly spun triumphantly in the air, using mist to create the shape of Shuttle perched on a turtle shell in the forest.

At that moment, Kirlia's voice rang in Zhang Jianying's mind: "Turtle secretly took an empty Poké Ball last night."

Zhang Jianying was taken aback: "Turtle wants to tame Pot Pot himself?"

"It seems so." Kirlian elegantly smoothed the hem of her skirt.

Zhang Jianying gave a meaningful smile, "Emm...Turtle's grown up, huh? He knows how to bring Pokémon home now. Elbow, let's see what's going on."

In the institute's backyard, Pot Pot was slowly crawling among the bushes, gathering tree fruits still damp with morning dew. Seeing the forest tortoise arrive, it happily quickened its pace and crawled over.

"Mmm~" The forest turtle lowered its head, gently touched the shell of the pot, and shook a few plump energy fruits off the bushes on its back.

The two Pokémon were sharing a delicious breakfast as usual. But today, the Torterra seemed a little preoccupied, occasionally nudging the Poké Ball hidden in the crevices of its shell with its paw.

Hu Hu seemed to sense her friend's unusual behavior, and Dou Dou's "wise" eyes revealed a questioning look.

"Umm... Umm..."

The forest tortoise spoke softly, gesturing with its paws the actions of a famous journey, then pointed to the pot, and finally patted the empty space on its back.

Hu Hu was stunned. She blinked her beady eyes and slowly lowered her head.

At this moment, Zhang Jianying and Qirulian quietly hid behind a tree not far away to observe.

"What are they saying?" Zhang Jianying asked in a low voice.

Kirlia closed her eyes and sensed something: "Turtle is inviting Shuckle to travel with her. But Shuckle seems hesitant."

Sure enough, Hu Hu slowly shook her head, and Dou Dou's eyes were full of struggle.

It gestured with its claws as if it were fighting, then made a gesture of retracting into its shell.

"It seems it doesn't really like fighting?" Zhang Jianying guessed, stroking his chin.

"Yes," Kirullian continued translating, "Juglucho says it hates fighting and just wants to live a leisurely life."

The forest tortoise lowered its head dejectedly, and even the bushes on its back looked somewhat wilted.

Just then, our best ally arrived: a flock of wild finches swept across the sky. One of them swooped down, attempting to snatch the fruit that Potpot had just gathered.

"Ugh!" The forest turtle immediately stepped forward, using its massive body to protect Potpot.

Unexpectedly, the jar suddenly poked its head out of its shell and sprayed a sticky net at the finless peacock. It accurately hit the finless peacock's wing, causing it to fall to the ground in a sorry state.

"This is... a sticky net?" Zhang Jianying raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It seems that Pot Pot isn't incapable of fighting, it just doesn't want to."

After the Fiery Sparrow flew away dejectedly, the Water Sparrow returned to its leisurely demeanor, slowly crawling back to the Forest Tortoise as if nothing had happened.

The forest tortoise looked at its friend and seemed to understand something.

It gently nudged the pot with its nose, then raised its forelegs and pointed at Zhang Jianying in the distance.

After hesitating for a moment, Hu Hu finally crawled slowly toward Zhang Jianying.

"Do you want to talk to me?"

Zhang Jianying squatted down and looked directly into Hu Hu's beady eyes.

Potpot nodded and let out a series of soft chirps. Kirulian translated accordingly:

"It said it really likes its forest tortoise friend and wants to stay with it. But it really doesn't like the constant fighting."

Zhang Jianying smiled: "I understand. Not all Pokémon love battling. Don't worry, even if you join us, you can focus on doing what you like, such as brewing delicious juice or taking care of other Pokémon. We'll only need your help when necessary."

Hu Hu's beady eyes lit up, but then a look of worry crossed her face. "Pfft?"

It asked, "Is it really possible? We don't have to fight every day?"

"Of course." Zhang Jianying nodded seriously.

"Each Pokémon is an individual, with its own preferences and choices. I respect your opinion."

After thinking for a moment, Potpot suddenly turned to look at the forest tortoise, its beady eyes blinking excitedly, "Ss ...

"Mmm!" The Grovyle nodded happily and immediately pulled out the Poké Ball that it had been hiding for half a day from the crack in its shell, pushing it in front of Shuttle with its nose.

Under Zhang Jianying's watchful eye, Shuttle touched the button on the Poké Ball itself. A red light flashed, and the Poké Ball shook gently three times, emitting a crisp "ding" sound.

"This..." Zhang Jianying was both amused and exasperated. "Turtle, you want to be a trainer too?"

The forest tortoise lowered its head shyly, but its eyes were full of joy.

"Looks like your team has a new member."

Professor Oak appeared behind them without them noticing, holding his signature cup of instant noodles.

"Doctor, you saw everything?"

"Hehe, I've been watching since Torkoal stole the Poké Ball." The professor slurped his noodles. "It was a fantastic show."

"So I was the last one to find out??"

Zhang Jianying scratched his head.

Professor Oak smiled faintly: "The relationship between Pokémon and Trainer should be a two-way selection. You respect Shuckle's wishes, and Shuckle is willing to trust you. Isn't that good?"

He put down his cup of noodles, his expression turning serious: "Many trainers only think about getting their teams into a fighting force as quickly as possible, but they ignore the Pokémon's own will. It's rare that you can do this."

Zhang Jianying thought of a perpetually passionate young man: "Was Ash a trainer like that too?"

"That's right." The professor smiled nostalgically. "That kid always treated his Pokémon as his most important partners. That's why his Pokémon were so willing to fight for him."

With a soft "bang," Shuttle jumped out of its Poké Ball, then leisurely climbed onto the back of the forest turtle and found a comfortable spot to lie down.

"Pfft~", Hu Hu's beady eyes narrowed into slits, clearly very satisfied with her new seat.

……

At dinner time, after discovering that the pot had officially joined the family, Baby Dragon's interest was piqued again.

"Woohoo!"

It approached the pot, mimicking the gestures of a famous bartender with its paws, pointed at Kirlia, and gave a malicious smile.

The pot-shaped object was so frightened that it immediately shrank back into its shell, refusing to come out no matter how much the baby dragon knocked on it.

"Alright, baby dragon." Zhang Jianying helplessly dragged the little guy away. "Don't try anything funny again."

But Baby Dragon was clearly not giving up. Taking advantage of Zhang Jianying's inattention, it secretly piled up its treasured tree fruits in front of Huhu, continuing to tempt him.

Just then, a shadow fell over it. The baby dragon stiffly turned its head, meeting Kirlia's icy gaze.

"Woo... Awooo?" Baby Dragon tried to get away with being cute.

The next second, Baby Dragon was lifted into the air by telekinesis.

"Hehehe..." Gastly chuckled gloatingly from afar, but its laughter soon faded as it met Kirlia's gaze.

Thus, once again, a tragic scene unfolded in the courtyard of two unfortunate brothers and sisters who had been subjected to "mental breakdown" education.

The forest tortoise shook its head helplessly, placed the pot on the edge of the bushes behind it, and gestured with its eyes: See, this is what happens when you mess with the big sister.

Huhu peeked through the crack in its shell and decided that it would definitely stick to the forest tortoise as its main support from now on.

……

The day before departure, Zhang Jianying was packing her luggage in her room when Professor Oak knocked on the door and came in.

"How are the preparations going?"

"That's about it." Zhang Jianying looked at the luggage scattered on the floor, a bit of a headache in her eyes. "It's just that there's a lot more stuff than when we came."

Professor Oak smiled and took an exquisite wooden box out of his pocket: "This is for you."

Zhang Jianying opened the wooden box, inside which were arranged more than a dozen antique-style Poké Balls. Each ball had unique patterns and gleamed with a warm luster under the light.

"This is... a citrus fruit ball?"

"That's right." The professor nodded. "These were lost to me by that old man Steel. I've decided to give them to you. It's clear you're a Pokémon trainer who truly cares about Pokémon. These Poké Balls should be given to trainers who know how to cherish them."

Zhang Jianying solemnly accepted the wooden box: "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome," the doctor patted him on the shoulder. "Thank yourself. You earned this gift through your own actions."

Just then, the sounds of Baby Dragon and Gastly playing and fighting came from outside the window, interspersed with the helpless dissuasion of Torterra and the slow crawling of Shuttle.

The professor smiled with satisfaction as he watched this scene: "Remember, a truly powerful trainer is never defined by how many battles they can win, but by how many Pokémon they can win the hearts of."

……

On the morning of our departure, Zhenxin Town was shrouded in a thin morning mist.

Zhang Jianying stood at the entrance of the research institute, giving her luggage a final check.

Baby Dragon, clutching the Everstone, followed closely at his feet. Kirlia hovered in mid-air, its psychic powers easily carrying most of the luggage.

Gastly floated quietly to one side, its misty body shimmering in the morning light. On the back of a Tortoise in the forest, Shuttle found a comfortable spot to lie down, its beady eyes curiously surveying its surroundings.

Professor Oak was watering the Oddish in the yard with a Squirtle spray bottle. Seeing the team ready to go, he put down the spray bottle and walked over.

"Is everything ready?"

Zhang Jianying nodded, "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you during this time."

"It's not troublesome at all," the doctor laughed heartily. "The joy you bring far outweighs the trouble."

His gaze swept across the group, lingering on Huhu for a moment: "Looks like some new members are adapting well."

The little pot shyly tucked its head into its shell, leaving only its beady eyes peeking out to observe.

"Umm~"

The forest tortoise proudly raised its head; for a tortoise, being praised by its friend makes it happier than being praised itself.

Baby Dragon seemed to have thought of something, ran up to the professor, and started gesturing and howling.

"It says thank you for taking care of it," Kirullian's translator chimed in at the opportune moment.

Professor Oak smiled gently, squatted down, and patted the baby dragon's head: "You need to control your power well, little guy."

Then, Gastly floated over and used its mist to create a small flower, which it then gave to the professor.

"Hehe~ I'll come find you to play again later~"

Zhang Jianying felt a warmth in her heart as she watched this scene. These seemingly mischievous kids actually remembered the kindness others had shown them.

A black dot appeared in the distant sky, gradually growing into a magnificent Starhawk. The flying mount arranged by Cynthia had arrived.

"Everyone, it's time to go." Zhang Jianying took a deep breath.

Just then, Huhu suddenly climbed down from the turtle's back in the forest, slowly crawled to Zhang Jianying's side, and gently touched his shoes with its shell.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Jianying squatted down.

A determined light shone in Hu Hu's beady eyes as she called out to him a few times.

Kirullian translated, "It said that although it doesn't like fighting, it will definitely help its companions if they need it."

Zhang Jianying smiled and gently patted the pot's shell: "Thank you. But remember, just be yourself."

He stood up, looked at the whole group, and put the little guys into the newly replaced citrus balls one by one.

"Let's go, Professor Oak."

The Mk Eagle landed steadily on the open ground, spreading its broad wings.

Zhang Jianying glanced back at Pallet Town one last time. The town was peaceful and serene in the morning light. Professor Oak stood at the entrance of his research institute, smiling and waving at them.

Goodbye, Doctor!

Goodbye! Keep it up, guys! Looking forward to hearing good news from you!

Staraptor took flight, and Pallet Town gradually shrank beneath its feet. Zhang Jianying stroked the Poké Ball at his waist, his heart filled with anticipation.

A new journey is about to begin.

On the Trainer's Belt, the Bellatrix, unwilling to give up, whispered to the Shuttle next to it through the ball's wall, "Ugh...can't we really make that juice again?"

"Bang!"

The familiar telekinetic energy descended once more through the sphere's walls.

"Heh..." Gastly looked sympathetically at the baby dragon being taught a lesson by the neighboring ball, secretly relieved that it wasn't the one who had courted death this time.

Zhang Jianying looked at the swaying Poké Ball and smiled. He knew what was happening inside without even being asked.

After all, these were the little guys he knew well, always full of surprises despite the constant troubles...