Pokémon, you're not allowed to expel me from human form!

The other party was going to see him off before he left, which is already the way friends treat each other.

There's no need to be overly concerned about things that the other party genuinely doesn't care about.

But Luo Ke remembered this incident.

He will return it to the place that the other party cares about.

So he deleted the original text and left Eureka with this new sentence.

Luo Ke: [Okay, let's do it tomorrow. I'll leave tomorrow. You decide the time and place. See you then.]

......

27. Their journey officially began.

Los Angeles is divided into two districts, Upper and Lower, due to its varying elevations.

Uptown, also known as Chaoyang District, boasts the World Garden and Los Angeles' most famous commercial street. Buildings are generally no more than five stories high, ensuring excellent natural light, and vibrant flowers are a common sight. Many world-renowned fashion designers and artists live here.

The Lower City is divided into two parts by the Huajiang River. The part that is closer to the Upper City is Yanghua District, which is known locally as the Jiangnan area, while the part that is closer to the forest is Linhua District, which is known locally as the Jiangbei area.

Yanghua District has many high-rise buildings and bustling streets. When Luo Ke first transmigrated to this world, he appeared directly in Yanghua District.

Linhua District doesn't have many buildings, but it's planted with many flowering trees and has rivers running through it, giving it a unique aesthetic appeal in terms of urban planning.

As for the dilapidated streets that are common behind the prosperity of big cities, they don't exist in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles residents are known for their sophistication.

Therefore, even the suburbs of Los Angeles are very well-developed in terms of urban construction.

The avenue that Luo Ke is currently standing on, which leads directly out of the city, is a kind of gateway to Luo City. Therefore, both sides of this wide avenue are planted with beautiful flowering trees. As the wind blows, the petals fall like snowflakes, welcoming and bidding farewell to every pedestrian walking on this road.

Furthermore, this road connects several business districts in Linhua District and leads directly to the Jiangqiao Bridge that spans the Huajiang River.

For first-time visitors to Los Angeles, once they step onto this road, they can see the bustling commercial district in the distance and feel the vibrancy of Los Angeles, the sophistication of its people, and the unique urban development of the Linhua District.

This is Luo Ke's first time here.

He experienced everything that anyone arriving in Los Angeles for the first time could experience.

However, he wasn't a newcomer; he was about to leave.

The reason I'm here right now is simply to wait for Eureka.

They agreed to meet here.

Luo Ke now lives on the edge of Linhua District, so it's not far from here, only a ten-minute walk. He set off half an hour early and arrived here twenty minutes before the agreed time.

Ten minutes before the appointed time, the Bluebird of the Seven Stars descended from the sky, landing precisely in front of Luo Ke like an elegant dancer, and bowed its head.

Yurika, who was on its back, stood up and leaped directly at Rocco, just as she had when they met at the Los Angeles branch.

Seeing this, Luo Ke stepped forward, opened his arms, and caught the girl steadily.

Place it gently in front of you.

Unlike yesterday when they communicated via phone, Eureka today was the same as before: a blank expression, a languid voice, and...

"Ah ho~"

"Well, I'm leaving."

Rocco could still understand what Eureka meant.

However, unlike before, after seeing Eureka online, Roco now understands the meaning and also puts a filter on Eureka in his mind.

If his original understanding of those words was—"I've come to see you off..."

So now—well, I've come to see you off. But the thought of you leaving makes me a little sad~

Yeah, that's roughly the feeling.

As for which one Yurika was actually thinking about...

It does not matter!

"I've chosen the route. I checked the route maps online for trainers who want to challenge the gym."

"Los Angeles is one of the best starting cities for new trainers to travel to. It's very close to Hachiman, the Mineral City. The Dark Continent Gym is located in Hachiman. I plan to challenge the gym there first and start collecting badges to qualify for challenging the current Elite Four members of the China region."

Yurika nodded slightly in response to Rocco's words.

She had gone through the same thing in North America back then, so she spoke up to remind Luo Ke.

"The dojo is very useful."

"Most gym leaders use very classic tactics, and these tactics have inspired me a lot."

"Fighting-type gym leaders are very good at commanding, and I can learn a lot from them."

"But you'll be able to collect all the badges soon, right?"

"After all, the stronger the gym leader, the weaker the gym leader."

"You'll definitely be fine."

Eureka's words left Victini, who was listening to the conversation from inside the Poké Ball and preparing to learn about her opponent, completely bewildered.

The stronger the trainer, the weaker the trainer?

What does it mean?

But just as it was wondering, Luo Ke nodded thoughtfully; he understood!

"I see. Those gym trainers are very strong, but they don't go all out when facing gym challengers. So they probably won't use Pokémon that are much stronger than the challenger's, and they'll use some classic tactics to let the challenger understand those tactics."

"In that case, the stronger the Gym Leader, the stronger their main Pokémon will be, and the less likely they will be to use them when facing Gym Challengers."

"If there are some common and special tactics, then even some command details need to be changed. They are restricted the most and affected the most. So in comparison, they may not be as difficult to deal with as those gym trainers who are not as strong as them."

At this point, Luo Ke smiled.

"This arrangement is indeed very good. After witnessing your Sky Dance, my interest in tactics has been piqued. Since the tactics used by those gym trainers can be called classics, they must have their unique features."

"Just thinking about witnessing such tactics makes me excited."

Hearing Rocco say that, Yurika's lips curled into a slight smile.

Clearly, she really enjoyed talking to Luo Ke.

So Eureka then told Roco a lot about things to be aware of during the trip. After she finished talking, Eureka and Roco slowly walked to the edge of the road.

The flowering trees have come to an end; if we continue, we will enter the forest.

Rocco and Eureka stopped there.

"Alright, Eureka, you can go back now. I should get going."

"Ah."

Eureka nodded and quickly stepped back a short distance.

"Bon Voyage."

As she spoke, she waved to Luo Ke, and the bluebird also flapped its cloud-like wings.

Just then, all the other Poké Balls hanging on her waist opened, and Eureka's main Pokémon jumped out!

Like the Valiant Eagle, King Swallow, Arrowhawk, and Altaria, the Valiant Eagle flaps its wings, while the Swans and Togekiss are more elegant, as if bowing to Rocco.

Seeing this scene, Luo Ke was somewhat enlightened.

Yes, it's not just Eureka who has to say goodbye to herself, but also them.

Seeing how they surrounded Eureka, Roco felt that their connection was perhaps even closer than that of family.

This is the relationship between trainers and Pokémon...

Having grasped this point, Luo Ke gained a deeper understanding of the matter and resolved some of his previous doubts.

Because he was about to leave, he checked online last night and found that Los Angeles is one of the most suitable cities for new trainers to go out and about, and it is also a tourist city, which means that there are not many powerful Pokémon around Los Angeles.

Then the trainers here are generally not very strong, which is why the trainers in the branch are at that level.

Eureka is preparing for the battle against the Earth Emperor, an opponent she has never defeated before. Although she talks about strengthening her team and changing tactics, where around are there any powerful Pokémon to bolster her team...?

There weren't even any powerful trainers who could help her hone her Pokémon and improve her tactics and command skills.

Even with Bictini, a mythical beast not recorded in the League but which had demonstrated powerful support abilities, Eureka was only interested in Bictini's small wings before seeing it. After actually meeting Bictini, she didn't ask a single question.

The only thing that truly made her take out a Poké Ball to try and catch it was Rocco himself.

This was what Luo Ke had been wondering about.

He felt that Eureka might be putting on airs a bit.

But now he no longer has any doubts.

yes...

Eureka and her companions are not trainers and Pokémon in the game, but real family members who have spent countless years together and comrades who have defeated countless opponents!

It can't be easily changed just because of strength or defeat.

Rather than preparing for war in Los Angeles, it's more accurate to say that Eureka found a comfortable place to relax...

Perhaps she herself is still struggling with this decision, and perhaps she still wants to lead this team that has accompanied her all the way to go further.

Having realized this, Rocco waved to Eureka.

Then he watched as Eureka and her companions turned and headed back into Los Angeles, toward the bustling shopping district.

Instead of returning directly to their Poké Balls, the Brave Eagles followed Eureka, making a racket all the way, just like a family taking a walk after dinner.

Luo Ke remembered this scene vividly.

After Eureka and the others had gone far away, he turned around and walked into the increasingly dark and quiet depths of the forest.

But just then, Roco's Poké Ball suddenly opened!

Victini jumped out and, at the same time, pressed Ditto's Poké Ball to release it as well!

'Tini~!'

"Well..."

Victini sat on Rocco's head, its little paws tucked in, while Ditto, with its goofy expression that seemed ready to drool at any moment, appeared on Rocco's shoulder.

Although the forest wasn't lively and there wasn't much to see, Victini could always find something new and exciting from time to time, and then excitedly drag Rocco and Ditto over there.

Suddenly, the quiet forest became noisy.

This noise is a signal.

This signified... no, it should be said that their journey had officially begun.

......

28. That's the meaning of travel!

Baping City, 2025 (Gregorian calendar).

In ancient times, before the alliance was established and the Gregorian calendar was used for dating, Baping City was the capital of an ancient kingdom.

The surrounding cities can produce large quantities of grain, and Baping City has countless mineral resources and is a transportation hub for the entire surrounding area.

This geographical location determines that Baping will not be as exquisite and full of natural atmosphere as Luocheng.

But Hachibei is by no means a city that focuses solely on industry and transportation while abandoning everything else.

Its city is square and neat, with rough details but its own unique culture. Many traces of ancient kingdoms have been preserved and maintained, making it a popular tourist attraction for modern people.

...

As the moon rose above the treetops, the old butler closed the black-painted iron gate and directed the maids and elves to turn on the lights throughout the courtyard, officially ushering Lorraine Manor into nighttime mode.

These past few days, the entire Lorraine Manor has shown a different kind of vitality than usual.

The reason is simple: the young master of the manor, one of only two members of the Lorraine family, the young lady whom the servants have watched grow up—Alice H. Lorraine—has returned!

This young princess from the prestigious Lorraine family has short chestnut hair and delicate, doll-like features. She is dressed formally in a white shirt and dark skirt, with black stockings, which accentuate her beautiful curves.

Anyone who sees Miss Alice will surely take a second look at her naturally beautiful face.