I caught a Pokémon

Except for a faint sound coming from one of the tents.

Makomo stared wide-eyed at the top of the tent.

She has been in this position for more than two hours.

Xiao Guang, who was next to her, had his back to her and was breathing evenly, seemingly fast asleep.

But Makomo knew she wasn't asleep—because she had just seen Hikaru's ear tips turn red again.

The sounds from the next tent were intermittent, but always audible.

Makomo could recognize it as Yami's voice, gentle yet trembling, as if she was trying her best to suppress something. Occasionally, she could also hear Xia You's deep voice, though she couldn't make out what he was saying, but the tone...

She buried her face in the sleeping bag, gripping the edge of it tightly with both hands.

Again.

Here it comes again! Here it comes again! Here it comes again!

This is exactly the same as last night!

Why do you come every day!

Aren't you tired after traveling all day?!

They have boundless energy!

She tried to think about other things.

For example, tomorrow's research plan, the ecological environment of the Snowflake Wetland, the interesting girl Langley, what interesting people we'll meet next, and what interesting places we'll go...

But those voices always managed to pull her back.

In the end, she had no choice but to give up.

I don't know how much time passed, but finally it became quiet next door.

Makomo let out a long breath, feeling her heartbeat finally returning to normal. She glanced quietly to the side; Hikaru was still in the same position, but his breathing seemed lighter than before.

But this is for the best.

Makomo immediately thought of her own research.

The samples from this morning were wasted, but tomorrow morning... wait, it's already today, I absolutely have to get some more samples this morning!

This time, I can skip the observation and start the next step of research directly.

As she thought this, she slowly closed her eyes.

But my mind is too cluttered, and I can't fall asleep at all.

She rolled over, facing the tent wall, then rolled over again, facing Xiaoguang, then rolled over again, facing the other side.

The sleeping bag made a soft rustling sound as she turned it over, a sound that was naturally quite clear in the quiet night.

“Sister Makomo…”

Xiao Guang's voice suddenly rang out, very soft, with a hint of drowsiness.

Makomo's body stiffened.

"Can't you...sleep?"

Makomo was silent for two seconds, then hummed in agreement.

"Me too," Xiaoguang said softly. "But it should be almost dawn, right? Just hang in there a little longer."

Makomo didn't know what to say, so she just hummed in response.

Neither of them spoke again, and the tent fell silent once more.

But Makomo still couldn't sleep.

She started counting the sheep.

One, two, three... I was still perfectly clear-headed when I counted over a hundred.

She started thinking about research topics: detecting the energy fluctuations of the Phoenix King's blessing, analyzing sample components, comparative experiments with ordinary humans... As she thought, her thoughts drifted to the next room, to the dream she had yesterday, to the dream of becoming Yami, and Xia You...

Suddenly, her face turned even redder, and she was instantly wide awake, her mind racing, trying to see what was going on inside the tent next to her.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but in a daze, she finally fell asleep.

She slept soundly, and when she opened her eyes again, the glaring sunlight was already shining through the tent fabric, casting dappled shadows on the ground. There were sounds outside, and it sounded like someone was out and about.

Turning back to Xiao Guang's spot, the sleeping bag was neatly folded, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Makomo suddenly sat up.

Finished!

She hurriedly crawled out of her sleeping bag, unzipped the tent, and poked her head out.

The campfire has been relit, and Yami is cooking breakfast nearby, her movements gentle and composed. Xiaoguang is squatting not far away, playing something with the Pokémon, her laughter crisp and clear. Xiayou sits on a rock, looking down at her phone as usual, her expression calm.

Everything was so normal, so harmonious.

Makomo's gaze unconsciously fell on the door of Xia You and Yami's tent, but there was no sign of a garbage bag!

She quickly walked over, glancing to the left and right.

but……

No.

Everything is gone!

Beside her, Yami saw her and smiled gently: "Good morning, Makomo, did you sleep well last night?"

"It's...it's alright."

Makomo gave a perfunctory reply and continued to scan the area, but there was still no sign of the bag!

"Um..." Makomo began, her voice a little hoarse, "Has the trash been disposed of yet?"

"Mm." Yami nodded. "I tidied up a bit this morning. What's up? Do you have something to throw away?"

"No...no." Makomo shook her head, trying to make her expression look normal. "I was just asking."

She turned around, walked back to her tent, and began packing her sleeping bag.

I feel empty inside.

I tossed and turned all night last night, just to wait for this morning, but I overslept and got nothing!

What am I doing?!

She said to herself.

A PhD student, secretly collecting other people's samples, and still failed!

It's so embarrassing to tell anyone!

But another voice said, "That's Ho-Oh's blessing, a legendary power! It's worth it for her to do this!"

And...and it's not a bad thing, it's just research...

She took a deep breath and stuffed the sleeping bag into her backpack.

It's all Xia You's fault!

If he hadn't stayed up so late, I definitely wouldn't have been unable to sleep or get up!

Ugh……

Forget it.

If you miss it, you miss it.

Next time... I'll definitely get up earlier next time!

She told herself that, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Stepping out of the tent, breakfast was already prepared.

The group sat around the campfire, eating a simple breakfast and chatting about the day's itinerary. The sun shone warmly on them.

Makomo sat to the side, silently eating her sandwich without saying a word.

Her gaze fell on Xia You.

He was talking to Xiaoguang, and the outline of his profile was particularly clear in the sunlight.

Ho-Oh's blessing... I must get my hands on it!

She sighed softly to herself.

Then he lowered his head and continued eating his breakfast.

The test tubes she had prepared beforehand lay quietly in her pocket, and anyone could see the disappointment in her expression.

Xia You was no longer surprised by this.

After all, a woman's period... can last for several days!

……

After breakfast, the group continued their journey.

They continued westward until they reached the Central United States region, after crossing a magnificent iron bridge spanning several hundred meters across the water—a cylindrical bridge that appeared to be cast in steel.

After traveling for most of the day, the outline of Shuanglong City came into view.

Shuanglong City is known as a city where the past and the future are intertwined.

Once outside the city, the first thing that catches the eye is those towering modern buildings.

But upon closer inspection, one can vaguely see ancient stone walls, mottled bricks and tiles, and ancient towers that seem to have stood here for thousands of years between these modern buildings.

Ancient and modern are strangely intertwined here.

"Wow—" Xiao Guang couldn't help but exclaim, "What a cool city! Those buildings are so tall, but that tower over there... looks so old!"

Bogaman called "Boga Boga" on her shoulder, seemingly expressing his amazement as well.

Yami smiled gently, her gaze lingering on the ancient buildings.

"It seems to be a city with a story."

Makomo pushed up her glasses and opened the notebook she always carried with her.

“Double Dragon City is known as the ‘city where the past and future intertwine.’” She read the information on the page. “Located in the far north of the Unova region, it has a superior geographical location and is considered one of the oldest cities in Unova. Every year, many archaeologists are born here. At the same time, it is also a research and development center for many cutting-edge technologies—it is said that the latest Poké Ball was developed here.”

“The past and the future are intertwined…” Xiao Guang repeated the sentence thoughtfully, “What an interesting description.”

Upon hearing that many archaeologists are born every year, Xia You inexplicably thought of Zhu Lan.

This is really...

Although Zhu Lan is only a mythologist, she is more or less related to archaeology. After all, without archaeology, how can one study mythology?

Even though we've only been together for a short time, or rather, haven't had much in-depth communication, I find myself subconsciously thinking of her when I encounter places like this.

It seems this woman is slowly starting to take on a place in his heart...

Chapter 1380 Shaka

"Xia You-ge?" Xiao Guang's voice pulled him back to reality. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing." Xia You shook her head. "Let's go into the city."

The group continued along the road, gradually approaching the edge of the city.

The city's suburbs are not as bustling as the city center, but even so, some more interesting little shops than those in other cities have begun to appear along the streets.

There were vendors selling antiques, archaeological tools, and the latest travel gear; they even saw some of the newest Poké Balls in the shop windows.

Then they heard music.

It's not the kind of music played from a stereo, but real music played by instruments.

The sounds of flutes, zithers, and drums intertwine to create a simple yet melodious tune.

Following the sound, at the corner of the street, several people dressed in traditional clothing were sitting together, intently playing their respective instruments. Their skills were superb, and their expressions were absorbed, as if they were immersed in another world.

A group of listeners surrounded them; some listened with their eyes closed, some tapped their feet to the beat, and a few children curiously peered at the instruments in their hands.