Pokémon: Trainers Returning from Monster Hunter

By the time Oreki finished all the formalities at Kanaz Academy, it was already late.

As the last rays of the setting sun shone down, Oreki walked down the street, his destination the apartment arranged by Kanaz Academy.

Xin Ye Miao followed closely behind him, her pink paws making "slap slap" sounds, and her light purple cat ears swayed slightly as she looked around.

It was the first time it had ever seen such a bustling street.

The pedestrians on the street were much busier than the people living in Littleroot Town, and some even rode Pokémon around the streets, which looked very cool.

"New Leaf Cat".

The trainer's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

"Meow!"

(ﾟДﾟ*)ﾉ

Xin Ye Miao was so frightened that she shuddered.

I was so scared!

"Are you tired from walking?" Oreki bent down and picked it up.

"Meow! Meow!"

I'm not tired! Don't carry me, I can walk by myself!

"It's perfectly natural and legal for trainers to hold their own Pokémon!"

"Meow meow!"

It's perfectly reasonable for a Pokémon to refuse a trainer's hug!

"In that case..."

Oreki grinned mischievously, then magically produced a metal box and opened a corner of it.

A familiar and warm heat emanates from it.

Xin Ye Miao gradually stopped struggling, but the proud cat still spoke up angrily.

"Meow!"

You're cheating! I won't stand for this!

"You're not convinced? Fine then." Oreki made a move to put away the metal box.

Snapped!

A soft, pink pad rested on his hand, stopping him from moving.

Meow~

Xin Ye Miao's eyes darted around, she meowed softly, and found a comfortable position to lie down completely.

I'm impressed, meow~

But the next second, its eyes widened suddenly, its purple cat pupils filled with shock!

"Meow?!"

You can understand me?!

Soon, it shook its head violently, its "shocked" expression turning into one of utter disbelief, "Meow...meow?!?!"

No…you haven’t moved your lips at all, have you?!

Although Newleafy is young and doesn't go out much, it knows that humans generally can't understand Pokémon language.

After all, the researchers at the institute have never been able to communicate with them without any barriers; they basically have to infer the content based on the context of the conversation.

Not to mention, during that conversation just now, his trainer didn't say a word!

Where did that sound come from?!

Xin Ye Miao felt like she had been set up.

"Oh? I thought you'd take a while to notice."

Oreki smiled, but his lips remained still.

After careful observation, Xin Ye Miao discovered that the trainer's voice wasn't ringing in its ears, but rather appearing directly in its mind!

No wonder I always felt like there was something dirty in my head that I couldn't get rid of, so that's why, meow...

After a brief moment of thought, it quickly accepted the premise, and its gaze slowly shifted from "seeing a ghost" to "relief."

The trainer I chose is really amazing! Not only can it fight, but it can also communicate with me telepathically!

I have such good taste!

In fact, this was not Oreki's ability, but a reward from the system's newbie gift pack.

[Telepathy: You can understand the language of the Palico tribe and communicate with them telepathically.]

Although the Palico race in the New World has its own language, it can also speak human languages, so there is no communication barrier between them and hunters.

However, in actual combat, the environment is always changing rapidly. Even if you can communicate or even whistle, you may still encounter situations where you can't hear the other person at all.

It seems the system wanted to solve this problem completely, which is why it gave him the ability to communicate with Palicoes.

But this is the Pokémon world!

Originally, Oreki was prepared that he would not be able to activate it, but after a little attempt, he was actually able to directly transmit his thoughts to Shin-chan.

The feeling was subtle, as if an invisible and intangible transparent thread connected his and Xin Ye Miao's minds.

As long as he concentrates, he can transmit his thoughts along this thread.

Most importantly, judging from Xin Ye Miao's reaction, this transmission was not delayed!

Oreki knew very well that in the Pokémon world, unless you possess special abilities such as Aura or psychic powers, commanding Pokémon in battle is basically done by shouting.

In this way, he gained a head start by commanding the battle with zero delay through telepathy!

Want me to determine the move based on my commands?

Can I sense that you're not going to explode?

However, there is a problem now—

New Leaf Cat doesn't seem to be able to convey its thoughts, meaning this telepathy is currently one-way.

"Meow, meow?"

Why aren't you saying anything?

The sudden silence in her mind made Xin Ye Miao feel a little uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but let out a soft meow.

"I'm wondering why I can send you messages but not receive your thoughts?" Oreki asked thoughtfully.

Upon hearing this, Xin Ye Miao showed a bewildered expression, looking rather dazed.

"Meow?"

So, I can do it too?

Telepathic communication? I don't know how to do that! Isn't that an exclusive ability of Kirlia from the research institute?

"It should be possible, otherwise how could it be called telepathy?"

However, on the entire journey home, Oreki tried many methods, but Shin-chan still couldn't grasp the key points.

It was because its face was pressed against his for too long during the experiment that it became distracted and was now drooping its head, nestled in his arms.

"Are you shy?"

"Meow!"

No, not at all!

……

After settling into our accommodations, night quietly fell.

The apartment arranged by Kanaz Academy was truly beyond Oreki's expectations—who says a single apartment means a detached house?

Although it's just a right to use the house, and the house is only two stories high, it's fully equipped with appliances and doesn't cost a penny!

As long as he continues to work at Kanaz College, this detached house is practically his.

As expected of a higher education institution funded and built by Devon Corporation, they are indeed very wealthy!

I worked myself to the bone to save up for a down payment in my past life, but I never expected to become rich right after starting a new job in this life.

Where can I go to reason with this?

Lying on the Snorlax-shaped beanbag chair, Oreki let out a long breath and looked at Shinyori, who was curled up and dozing on the carpet not far away.

A sense of security welled up inside me.

Perhaps this is what "home" feels like?

"This little guy is exhausted today, he should get some rest."

He actually had some ideas about teaching New Leaf Cat telepathy, but he needed time to verify them.

Even on a one-sided scale, he now far surpasses most trainers.

"Oh, right!"

Oreki suddenly realized that after the system was unblocked, there were some new functions on the main interface. He had been busy with the admission procedures all afternoon and hadn't had a chance to study them carefully.

[Backpack], [Illustrated Guide], [Quests], [Hunter's Certificate]

The above four options constitute the entirety of the system's main interface; rather than being concise and clear, it's more accurate to describe it as overly rudimentary.

"There's no [Shop]! Who's going to get me the weapon I'm missing? Katana Hero, please help!"

Oreki grumbled and opened his backpack—well, apart from the Lava Dragon Gem that somehow fit inside, it was completely empty.

Then open the [Encyclopedia] feature.

Please shift your view to the monster and silently repeat the query; the system will automatically collect target information.

"Tsk, so it really is a monster encyclopedia?"

But considering that this erratic system always acts unpredictably, Oreki still set his sights on Shin-chan.

"Search".

[Identifying... Please wait]

"Oh? Really?"

【New Leaf Cat (Female)】

[Attribute: Grass]

【Features: Flexible and adaptable】

[Moves Mastered: Petal Smash, Switcheroo, Bite, Leaf Shot, Tail Wag, Scratch]

[A somewhat stubborn personality, and a fondness for spicy food.]

[Status: Good, sleepy.]

[Evaluation: A relatively weak entity at the bottom of the ecological niche, but possesses strong growth potential.]

"..."

Oreki stared at it for a long time before quietly saying "6".

What Schrödinger's New Leaf Cat?

When you don't observe it, it's a "Catwoman," but once you observe it, it becomes a "New Leaf Cat," right?

He didn't know whether to complain about the system's internal conflict or praise its excellent stitching.

Although it was all messed up, the items given were surprisingly usable.

"If that's the case, then the mission can be completed, right?"

Oreki shifted his attention to the [mission].

The side quests are easy to understand; improving the new Leaf Cat's strength should be enough.

As for the main quest…

How do I complete the "Defeat Monsters in the New World" quest in the Pokémon world?

Buzz!

Before Oreki could think, his phone vibrated twice.

— News has arrived.

Pick it up and take a look.

[Cabbage: Oreki, I have a stone slab unearthed from some ruins that I need your help taking a look at.]

[Cabbage: Image.jpg]

"Cabbage? Who's this?"

Looking at the Gible avatar, Oreki fell into deep thought.

My friend's name is Cabbage, and her profile picture is a giblet...

Holy crap! Bamboo orchid?!

……