I'm live-streaming Pokémon science popularization on New World.

After the meeting with the Dos Federation, Lin Dao and Shen Yu'er returned to their room.

Lin Dao didn't rest. He sat cross-legged on the carpet, surrounded by Pikachu, Snivy, two Bubble Squirrels, and Riolu, which he had just caught and liked to stay close to him.

He was performing simple status checks on each of them, and based on each Pokémon's characteristics and current stage, he was mentally outlining an initial training plan for when they returned to Newland City.

Shen Yu'er sat at the writing desk to the side, opened her portable computer, and quickly organized Lin Dao's dictated ideas into clear items and a draft plan.

The soft, rhythmic tapping of the keyboard intertwined with the occasional soft sounds from the Pokémon in the room, creating a peaceful working scene.

However, after Shen Yu'er finished recording and saved the document, she looked up at Lin Dao.

"Lin Dao," Shen Yu'er spoke softly, breaking the silence, "what are you thinking about?"

Lin Dao looked at Shen Yu'er, his expression puzzled, and asked, "Why do you ask that?"

Shen Yu'er closed her laptop, turned to face him, her gaze clear and resolute.

"We've worked together and spent quite a bit of time together."

"Usually, when the cause of coexistence between humans and Pokémon makes substantial progress, even if you don't show it on your face, there will always be a sense of satisfaction and motivation in your eyes."

"But now... although you haven't changed much, that cheerful spirit is gone. What's distracting you? Or rather, what's bothering you?"

Lin Dao remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the Pokémon around him who were looking at him with trust. Finally, he exhaled a deep breath, the breath seemingly carrying an invisible weight.

"I didn't expect you to see through me."

He admitted that his voice was a little lower than usual.

He carefully chose his words and slowly said, "I was just... thinking about a problem."

"Perhaps I was too hasty. Look, within China, everything is getting back on track. New Edge City is rising from the ground, the Trainer Program has been launched, and societal perceptions are changing. Internationally, countries like the Dos Federation are also actively seeking change. This is a good start."

He paused for a moment, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable.

"But, Xiaoyu, I can't help but think about things on a deeper level."

"Today, Prichin's joke in exchange for my 'help' seemed unintentional, but I can clearly see and understand that people's thoughts about Pokémon are more about self-interest."

His voice betrayed a hint of weariness and worry that was barely perceptible.

"I promote technology, build platforms, and set rules, but can these truly bridge the gap at the level of the heart?"

"Is what I've done... really enough? Is the pace still too slow? Should I be more aggressive and push something forward?"

This rare self-doubt and deep anxiety, calmly uttered by Lin Dao, seemed to make the air in the room grow heavier.

Pikachu stopped playing and called out "Pika!" with concern; Snivy stopped grooming itself; the Bubble Squirrels huddled closer together; Riolu, though not fully understanding all the words, could clearly sense the heaviness and confusion emanating from Lindao's waveguide, and its little paws gripped Lindao's clothes tightly.

Shen Yu'er listened quietly, without immediately refuting or comforting her.

After Lin Dao finished speaking, she stood up, walked to him, and then made a move that surprised everyone—

She leaned forward slightly, reached out, and gently, yet with an undeniable warmth, pulled Lin Dao's head close to her chest.

"!" Lin Dao's body stiffened slightly.

"!!!" The Pikachu next to it instantly covered its eyes with its two little paws, but the gaps between its fingers were wide open, and its glowing eyes blinked and peeked through the gaps.

Two foam squirrels shyly covered each other's faces with their tails, but couldn't help but peek out a crack.

The Snivy gracefully turned its head, but its ears stood straight up.

...Every Pokémon seems to leave room for others, but they are all secretly curious.

Shen Yu'er's voice rang in Lin Dao's ears, clear and steady, with a calming power: "Lin Dao, you're getting stuck on this one point."

"I understand you. You always hope things can be perfect, that every step you take is on the right path, that everyone can be happy immediately, and that the two worlds can merge flawlessly. This sentiment is more sincere and profound than anyone else's."

She tightened her arms slightly, as if to transfer her strength to him.

"But you must see clearly that what you have been doing has never been a simple matter of promoting technology or improving society."

"You are undertaking a monumental undertaking, a 'world-changing' feat! You are attempting to reshape the course of civilization on a planet and bridge the gap between two worlds! How could such a thing be accomplished overnight? How could it be without twists and turns, misunderstandings, and the interplay of interests?"

Her tone became more resolute.

"The pace we're taking now is already very fast, fast enough to draw the world's attention and give countless people hope."

"Precisely because this matter is of great importance, we must be 'steady.' Taking one step at a time, laying a solid foundation, and building consensus is far better than being blindly radical and ultimately collapsing due to an unstable foundation!"

"You must believe in yourself, believe in the knowledge and ideas you bring, believe in us, believe in all those who are inspired by your ideas and are working for them; believe in the human race as a whole, despite its selfishness and shortsightedness, it also has the ability to learn, adapt, reflect and do good; and finally, believe in the Pokémon, believe in their instinct to sense kindness and their willingness to build a future together with you and me."

A brief silence fell over the room.

Lin Dao leaned against Shen Yu'er's chest without moving, but Shen Yu'er could feel that his tense shoulders and back seemed to be relaxing little by little.

After about a minute or two, Lin Dao's muffled voice rang out, carrying a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment and relief.

"Xiaoyu... thank you. Could you be a little gentler? I don't mind, but... it's a bit uncomfortable."

"!" Shen Yu'er's cheeks instantly flushed red. She abruptly let go of her hand, took a step back, and glared at Lin Dao with a mixture of shame and anger. The image of the calm and reliable "big sister" she had just maintained was completely gone.

Lin Daozhi stood up, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly, but the gloom in his eyes had mostly dissipated, replaced by a clearer light.

"Thank you so much, Xiaoyu. I understand."

He reached out and scooped up Pikachu, who was pretending to cover his eyes but was actually peeking intently, and pulled him into his arms. He ignored the little guy's weak protest of "Pika Pika!" and the tiny electric sparks that automatically popped out of his cheeks and crackled but did not harm him at all (after multiple enhancements and deepening of the bond, Lin Dao's body was no longer bothered by Pikachu's unconscious electric discharge).

He mischievously pinched Pikachu's bouncy cheeks with his fingers, kneading its little face into various shapes—sometimes imitating Snorlax's憨厚 (honest and simple), sometimes imitating Bulbasaur's 认真 (serious), and sometimes turning it into Psyduck's 呆茫 (dazed and confused).

"Actually," Lin Dao said in a low voice while "torturing" the lifeless Pikachu. This time, his tone was no longer worried, but rather carried a kind of honest relief.

"I am very gratified and grateful. The initial communication went exceptionally smoothly, the live stream was well received by everyone, and we also received rapid support from the official team, which almost made me forget the difficulty of this matter itself."

"Being chosen and sent into this world, I have always had a deep-seated fear—a fear that I am not capable enough to shoulder this heavy responsibility. So I am always anxious, always wanting to do more and faster, afraid that any negligence or wrong decision on my part will cause the situation to deteriorate rapidly."

He put down Pikachu, who was dazed and confused from being rubbed and was lying on his lap pretending to be dead, and his gaze swept over every pair of eyes in the room that were watching him.

"I'm afraid of letting down the people in this world who trust me and follow me, and I'm even more afraid of letting down these pure and beautiful Pokémon."

"The complexity of human beings is something I, as a human being, can understand to some extent."

"But the thought that because of one wrong step I might cause more kind and innocent humans, or pure-hearted and innocent Pokémon, to suffer undeserved disasters... this possibility has always been the heaviest worry in my heart."

Hearing Lin Dao's most genuine thoughts, which he had never confided to anyone before, Shen Yu'er's last trace of shame and anger vanished, leaving only deep understanding and emotion.

She understood that Lin Daoneng's ability to say these things meant that his inner conflict had truly begun to loosen.

A warm and trusting smile returned to her face. She took a step forward, extended her hand, palm up, and offered it to Lin Dao.

"Lin Dao, you don't need to carry all the burdens alone."

Her voice was soft yet powerful.

"You can rest assured to entrust your back to us. I will stand by your side and do my best to help you, handle those tedious matters, and build a solid stage for you."

"I believe that it's not just me, but also Li Hao, He Zhong, Sister Zhao, Professor Tang, Mayor Zhou... everyone whose flame of hope you ignited, and—"

Her gaze fell upon the Pokémon in the room.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu was the first to jump up, placing its little paws on the back of Shen Yu'er's hand.

"Trembling!" Two foam squirrels followed closely behind, their furry little paws overlapping.

"Roar." Arcanine stepped forward with steady steps and gently covered one of its broad, warm paws with its paw.

"Rio!" Little Riolu stretched out his little blue hand without hesitation.

Even the usually arrogant Sniper no longer hesitated. Instead of extending its vine whip, it solemnly extended its real, slender little hand and placed it on Shen Yu'er's hand, gently pressing it as if to express its approval.

Baby Dragon came closer and gently nudged the back of the top hand with its hard forehead.

Even the Poké Ball containing the Kangaskhan mother and her baby, which was hanging on Lin Dao's waist, began to vibrate slightly.

Looking at the hands (and claws, hooves, and forehead) stacked together in front of him, and seeing the unreserved trust and support shining in every pair of eyes, the long-standing pent-up emotion in his chest finally dissipated, turning into a warm current that flowed through his entire body.

He smiled, a truly relaxed, relieved, and powerful smile.

He stretched out his right hand and steadily covered the top, feeling the warmth and strength from his companions.

At the same time, he picked up the slightly vibrating Poké Ball from his waist with his left hand and gently, symbolically, placed it at the very top of the "Tower of Bonds".

"Yes," his voice was clear and firm, carrying an unprecedented sense of steadiness.

"I believe in you, I believe in us, and I believe in the path we chose together."