Elf-like Life

Chapter 29, Unidentified Footprints

It's clear that the difficulty of this training lies in the little elf's footprints.

In this world, learning to recognize the footprints of the sprites is a skill, and it is very useful during adventures, which is why the two little ones are training in it.

The two little ones had witnessed the amazing teamwork between the Roaring Bomb and the Diglett, but when it was their turn, Charmander was instantly worried.

Thinking back to when I was still human, when I played Pokémon games, I focused on the Pokémon's attributes, how strong they were, and how wide their attack range was.

Or perhaps they're drawn to aesthetics, such as admiring the handsome Lucario, the elegant Gardevoir, or the adorable Sylveon.

Who would bother studying something like elf footprints?

Pikachu, on the other hand, seemed very confident, as if it was holding back a powerful attack:

"Hey, little Charmander, don't worry~"

"I'll be in charge of identifying footprints this time. You just need to announce it loudly."

Hey hey hey!

This is the first time I've seen Pikachu with such a confident smile, and this time it's definitely 100% courageous. It never had this kind of courage to volunteer before in the Mushroom Forest.

"Let's get started, Charmander! It looks like some Pokémon are approaching!"

Time was of the essence for the two little ones; the second wave of sprites had already stepped onto the platform.

The little dragon was the first to imitate, and then loudly broadcast the report:

"A Pokémon stepped on it! Whose footprints are these? Whose footprints are these?"

The footprints on the shaft were quite large, standard semi-circular animal claws with three pointed protrusions, and they looked very fleshy. These footprints clearly belonged to a small elf who was not light in weight.

The Roar Bomb alerted:

"Given that you are beginners, you will be allowed to answer three times incorrectly each time, and you will also be given one opportunity for off-site assistance."

"The groundhog can help you this once..."

Before the words were even finished, Pikachu confidently put its hands on its hips, striking a goofy pose that exuded an air of self-importance:

"No need, I already know whose footprints these are~"

Hey hey hey hey, so fast?

"Confirmed, they are indeed the footprints of Little Golem!"

"Oh, it's Bumblebee. This is the Wigglypuff Guild's security post. You can go in now."

With perfect accuracy, Pikachu's first round of identification completely stunned Bomb and Diglett.

Actually, this footprint was a bit difficult to identify because among the choices of the same size, it could be Snorlax, and it also resembles Blastoise's footprint, but Pikachu was so confident that it quickly recognized it.

It took 33 seconds.

Roaring Bomb: "Are you cheating?"

"Their recognition speed is almost as fast as ours! How is that possible? Did they train?"

Groundhog: "Um, that's really impressive."

Pikachu, hands on hips, continued, "Hehe, you guys forgot? I'm an encyclopedic scholar who graduated from Pokémon School!"

It turns out that the Pokémon footprints were a required exam question in a semester of the Encyclopedia Scholar program. Pikachu spent every day studying in the Great Library in order to earn his degree.

One of them is a book called "The Footprints of Little Elves," which contains the footprints of almost all common little elves.

All the hard work I put in during my student days paid off. I spent so much time memorizing these footprints and patterns that I never expected they would come in handy today.

The difficulty continues to increase; the third wave of sprite footprints has arrived, this time with two!

"A Pokémon stepped on it! Whose footprints are these? Whose footprints are these?"

Since there were two visitors, Charmander continued with an additional broadcast:

"Please stand up here as well, the other little sprite. We'll begin the identification process now."

The footprints are visible; this time there is one large and one small footprint.

The larger footprint on the left is a standard semi-oval, the kind with a thick body, without any sharp protrusions, and you can see the outline of the back half of it.

The right side was more difficult; the footprint was shaped like a crescent moon, which was truly unexpected.

Semi-ovals and crescents, a bit difficult.

Pikachu took a little while to recognize it, but still managed to identify it accurately:

"Confirmed, the footprints on the left are those of a tiny elephant, and the footprints on the right are those of a sonic cicada!"

"So it's Little Elephant and Sonic Cicada. This is the Wigglypuff Guild's security post. You two can go in now."

It took 40 seconds.

The two little ones, Roar Bomb and Gopher, were dumbfounded and truly astonished by this result:

"I think you guys are pretty strong, at least when it comes to identifying footprints, you're unmatched."

"The footprints of the Sonic Cicada are the kind that are very difficult to identify. It's really impressive. Even Dugtrio would acknowledge its strength."

Pikachu, showered with praise, became shy. Charmander, having truly witnessed Pikachu's power, felt even more embarrassed.

"Oh, little dragon, I'm not that good. I just learned how to identify footprints before, so it wasn't difficult for me."

Even Charmander seems to idolize P.E.K.K.A.

However, the difficulty increases further as more sprites approach the Wigglypuff Guild Bunker. The two little ones must be on high alert again, as there are three of them this time.

"A Pokémon stepped on it! Whose footprints are these? Whose footprints are these?"

"You came with all three of them, right? Please stand up so we can identify them. Thank you for your cooperation."

After he finished speaking, the other end of the shaft seemed to hesitate for a moment before revealing three footprints.

The first footprint on the left is semi-gas-like and can be described as becoming increasingly abstract, leaving only a few remnants that can be identified.

The number 3 footprint on the right is not only very sharp and thin, but it also looks like a little elf flying in mid-air, flapping its wings.

As for the footprint in the center, it seems incredibly abstract in its outline, even somewhat like a strange creature, making it impossible to identify.

Pikachu: "Ah, this..."

What's wrong, Pikachu? Did you encounter some rare footprints this time? The footprints on both sides are not very easy to identify, and the one in the middle is even more abstract.

50 seconds

1 minutes and 22 seconds,

1 minute and 40 seconds have passed...

The Bomb Roar reminded them, "Hey, the security detail has a rule that the time allotted for identifying footprints cannot exceed two and a half minutes. You guys need to hurry!"

Pikachu seemed to have encountered some difficulty, and slowly began to speak:

"The left footprint is from a Koffing, the right one is from a Zubat, and the middle footprint is the one that's left..."

What, Gas Eggs and Zubats?

In other words, it was them!!

"Um, the footprints in the middle are so hard to recognize, I don't think I'm out of ideas, what exactly is this...?"

"The footprint in the middle is..."

"It is..."

[At this very moment - outside the Fat Koopa Guild Bunker]

The stench-filled gas bomb waited while asking:

"This is so slow! What's going on? The boss must be getting impatient!"

The supersonic bat flapped its wings:

"Hey boss, your feet look like they're covered in mud. Did we walk on a dirt road to get here? Should we wipe them off for you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the leader of Gengar, who was standing in the middle, couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth and reveal a wicked smile.

"Of course not."

"hehe,"

"They can't recognize my footprints right now, this is just the beginning of the show..."

The Bully Expedition Team is back, led by Gengar again. How will the two little ones handle this? We'll have to wait and see! Our Sokcho vacation starts tomorrow! Yay! Hoping for a recommendation! Finally, a huge thank you to all the readers! Please vote, tip, add to your favorites, and invest! That's all for this chapter!

(End of this chapter)