Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

The room was clean and simple, with only a bed and one person, nothing more.

On the iron bed, a man of unusually tall stature, with long, messy, snow-white hair, resembling a beggar, sat leaning against the wall, half-asleep and half-awake, his head tilted back as if he were lost in thought.

The deafening sound of the iron gate being flung open did not wake him. The man seemed to live in his own world, unmoved by the wind and rain.

Hua Yedi stared blankly at this person she hadn't seen for three thousand years, yet who she could always meet in her dreams, and for a moment she gazed at him with longing.

As if sensing this unusual gaze, AZ slowly raised his head, revealing a weathered face, his originally cloudy eyes gradually clearing.

The expression in his eyes wasn't one of happiness or excitement, but rather one of utter disbelief and incredulity.

A person and a flower gaze at each other, seemingly with tears streaming down their faces.

Xia Chen, engrossed in watching the drama unfold, suddenly felt his hand tugged. Looking down, he saw Xianbu pulling him along with her silk ribbon, the meaning in her eyes unmistakable.

Leave the space for AZ and the flower petal stem!

Xia Chen raised his hands in surrender and obediently let Xianbu pull him outside.

…………

Xia Chen didn't have the habit of eavesdropping. After coming out, he led his Pokémon around Team Flare's base to see if they could find anything interesting.

Unfortunately, the alliance had looted everything so thoroughly that we didn't find anything after wandering around for more than half an hour.

There was still no movement coming from the dungeon at the bottom, so Xia Chen wasn't in a hurry and went to the base's kitchen to make lunch.

No matter how you spend your day, you still have to eat.

Although AZ seemed to have broken free from the constraints of the cycle of food, Xia Chen still prepared a portion for him, considering that he was still able to eat.

Two more hours passed, but Huayedi and the others still hadn't come out.

I hope nothing bad has happened...

With a hint of worry, Xia Chen sneaked to the place where AZ was being held to find out what was going on.

When he saw that the two people were gazing at each other with the exact same posture and expression as when they left, Xia Chen was stunned.

Are these two in a competition to see who can hold out the longest?

Despite saying that, Xia Chen still silently left the room and went back upstairs.

"Buyi? (What are they doing?)"

Xianbu was also curious about what the reunion of this extremely special human and elf after three thousand years would be like, and when Xia Chen came up, he became very interested in gossiping.

Xia Chen was speechless. "They...maybe they're playing 'Red Light, Green Light'."

Xianbu: "......"

Xia Chen patted her fluffy head. "Okay, let's not worry about them. Let's eat first."

"Buyi~"

It's unclear how long AZ and Huayedi played their "Statues" game, but Xia Chen and the elves spent a dreary afternoon at the base above, and it wasn't until 7 PM that they finally came up.

"Thank you for taking care of me during this time, Xia Chen."

Hua Yedi jumped down from AZ's broad palm and solemnly thanked Xia Chen, her tone suggesting a farewell.

Come to think of it, AZ and Huayedi reunited after three thousand years and flew away together again. This might be the last few times I would see her.

Thinking of this, Xia Chen smiled slightly, "You're welcome. I also want to thank you. Thanks to you, this matter was resolved so smoothly."

AZ looked at Xia Chen, then at the elves beside him, and remained silent.

Xia Chen didn't know how to start a conversation with this immortal, so he simply said, "There's some leftover dinner. If you don't mind, please have some."

AZ remained silent; the word "eat" had become too distant for him after being imprisoned for over a decade.

Hua Yedi advised, "Even if we don't need to replenish our energy through food, being able to enjoy the delicious food made by Xia Chen is a very happy thing in itself~"

Hua Yedi's advice worked immediately, and AZ nodded, accepting Xia Chen's kindness.

…………

Perhaps because they hadn't eaten in a long time, AZ and Flower Leafy devoured all the food that Xia Chen had prepared—enough to feed a Snorlax.

Xia Chen glanced at Gu Leton and remarked, "Goodness, this guy seems to be able to eat even more than you."

Therefore, Leighton scoffed dismissively, "It seems you still don't understand. What you see is the upper limit of the food you can cook, not the limit of my appetite."

Xia Chen rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, I guess I've wronged you."

As he was complaining, the unusually tall man stood up and strode steadily toward Xia Chen.

Xia Chen is 1.8 meters tall, which is considered tall among ordinary humans. However, when facing AZ, he has to tilt his head up at a 45-degree angle to make eye contact with him. It is conservatively estimated that he is close to 2.5 meters tall.

Despite his imposing height, AZ's tone was gentle, "Mr. Xia Chen, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you even more for bringing Hua Ye Di to my side."

Xia Chen waved his hand, "It's alright. I also get along very well with Hua Yedi, and I'm deeply moved by your deeds."

AZ smiled and said, "Touched?... Thank you for your comments. If I hadn't created the ultimate weapon for my own selfish interests, perhaps so many tragedies wouldn't have happened."

Xia Chen didn't offer any words of comfort like "it's all in the past." He had no right to forgive AZ for the lives injured or even killed by the ultimate weapon.

AZ received an answer from Xia Chen's silence. He sighed and said, "I know I am unforgivable. Before I saw Hua Yedi, my thought was to punish my miserable life with loneliness in this dungeon. But you have made me see light and hope again. My immortality seems to have meaning."

Xia Chen understood that he and Hua Yedi must have been talking about something down there, perhaps about future plans. He smiled and looked at AZ, indicating that he was willing to listen attentively.

The man said, “I plan to travel the world with Flower Leafy to help the elves who are suffering from calamities. I do not seek to atone for my countless sins, but only to make a small contribution to this world.”

Xia Chen sincerely wished them well, "What a noble ideal! I wish you all the best on your journey."

AZ nodded calmly, "Thank you."

This was Xia Chen's last conversation with AZ. That night, he and Hua Yedi left, drifting off to who knows where to achieve his self-redemption.

…………

Xia Chen, who had seen them off, didn't want to stay at the Flare Team base any longer, so he immediately took the Guleton back to Miare City and checked into the Champion Suite at the top-tier hotel.

Having fulfilled his long-cherished wish, Hua Yedi lay comfortably on his bed, pondering when to return to Donghuang.

With Carlos's situation now completely resolved, it's time to go back and prepare for the year-end Eastern Empire Tournament.

Wait... is everything resolved?

It seems there's still one thing that hasn't been resolved.

Xia Chen glanced at Diancie, who was chatting with Gardevoir by the window, and his heart skipped a beat.

Leaving Carlos seemed to mean parting ways with her.

Xia Chen suddenly felt a little melancholy.

Having spent over a month with Diancie, while it wouldn't be described as unbearable to part, the actual separation was still somewhat reluctant. If...

Xia Chen suddenly became lost in thought.

But after a moment, she felt that the probability of this idea coming true was too low. After all, she was the princess of a diamond-mining country; kidnapping her seemed rather difficult...

After tossing and turning in bed for a while, Xia Chen pondered the possibility of successfully inviting Diancie to join the team.

He quickly realized that some things only happen if you do them, and never happen if you don't do them.

It sounds similar to confessing one's love, but Xia Chen felt that the relationship between a trainer and a Pokémon was indeed similar to that of a couple.

Of course, it's not about being similar on that level, but rather that requirements such as personality compatibility are equally important for both the trainer and the Pokémon.

Xia Chen felt that Diancie and he were a good match, so he decided to give it a try.

However, now is not the best time. At least we need to get Diancie back to the mining country to create new holy diamonds first.

With the beautiful dream of taking Diancie back to Yuanling Island in his heart, Xia Chen drifted off to sleep.

Silent all night.

…………

The following day, Xia Chen took Tianxi on her third visit to the diamond-producing country.

This hidden place, unknown to most, is now no different from Xia Chen's own backyard.

Their return was warmly welcomed by the little diamonds—

It's not because they are heroes who saved the Carlos region. Besides, information here is very scarce, and even if they knew, they probably wouldn't react much.

What truly makes them happy is that the princess is back now, and she probably won't leave again, right?

The answer to this question is debatable, but soon, Diancie gave them a big enough surprise—

Diancie has successfully created a new holy diamond!

This scene caused a stir among the small diamond miners, because it meant that the diamond-mining nation could continue to exist.

However, when Tianxi looked at the sacred diamond that she had created herself, she didn't feel much excitement.

It's not that Diancie is unhappy, it's just that... after achieving something she had always dreamed of, Diancie felt a strange emptiness.

Perhaps it was the relief that came after that responsibility was lifted, or perhaps it was because she already had something comparable to, or even better than, that she had found.

What would that be?

Xia Chen told her the answer.

"Tianci, congratulations on finally becoming a qualified queen of the diamond mining country. There's nothing more we can do to help you, so I may have to leave."

Tianxi felt a sudden pang in her heart, as if something had been taken away from her.

She instinctively shouted, "No!"

Chapter 441: You let me subdue Diancie, and you just moved the entire Diamond Kingdom over here?

When did you start to get used to Xia Chen being around you?

It wasn't until the moment of parting was approaching that Tianxi began to think about this question.

My first time playing with my friends in White Sandalwood City?

How to take care of yourself during a trip?

Why go to such lengths to find Xerneas?

An inexplicable bond formed during their first battle?