Chapter Nine: A Pokémon with the Power to Read Minds?

“There’s no Ralts…” Zhao Fang gazed at the horned caterpillar before him and sighed helplessly. He was beginning to seriously suspect that the Ralts Xiao Guang had caught back then was deliberately placed there by Gym Leader Qianli.

For a Pokémon like Ralts, Zhao Fang still harbored great expectations. After all, Ralts was one of his favorites. Whenever there was a chance to catch one, Zhao Fang would always raise it as his main Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon.

Especially its final evolution, Gardevoir—she perfectly matched Zhao Fang’s aesthetic ideals, not to mention the awe-inspiring Mega Gardevoir. Gardevoir’s popularity was so immense that some even went as far as to draw risqué pictures of her on certain platforms; it was truly astonishing.

“Risqué… risqué pictures?” A strange voice sounded from behind Zhao Fang, startling him into a shiver. He scrambled forward a few steps before turning to look.

There was nothing behind him but emptiness. As night descended and darkness gathered, Zhao Fang lit a campfire. Yet, even within the fire’s warm circle, he saw nothing, as if the voice he’d just heard had been a figment of his imagination.

Zhao Fang picked up the Poké Ball containing his Magikarp. That voice, which seemed to come from behind, now felt as if it had spoken directly into his mind. This put Zhao Fang on alert—Pokémon capable of telepathy or mind-reading were usually Psychic-types. Of course, some particularly powerful Pokémon, such as legends, possessed this ability as well.

Not that Zhao Fang believed his luck would be good enough to encounter a legendary Pokémon. Even if he did, he’d have to approach with utmost caution—a single sneeze from such a creature could probably blow him away.

“Ralts?” Zhao Fang called out softly. If it truly was a Ralts, that would be a delightful surprise.

After all, according to the setting, Ralts could indeed be encountered and caught in this region.

A gust of wind made Zhao Fang squint, and as he did, he seemed to catch a fleeting glimpse of a figure darting past.

After remaining vigilant for a while longer, Zhao Fang, still puzzled, returned to his camp. He had sprayed repellant against wild Pokémon, yet one had still managed to sneak up on him—and it seemed to possess telepathy.

“Forget it, no use dwelling on it. Since it ran off, it probably meant no harm. I’d better get some rest; I still have to make it to Petalburg City tomorrow.” Zhao Fang stifled a yawn.

The map in this world was nothing like the games, where you could reach the next area by taking a few steps. According to Yaning, it would take about two days on foot to reach Petalburg City.

With some camping experience under his belt, Zhao Fang fell asleep much faster this time. He was barely in his sleeping bag when drowsiness overtook him.

…

The next morning, as Zhao Fang got up, he could already hear the gentle patter of rain.

“It’s raining?” Zhao Fang peeked out of his tent. The sky was veiled by rain, but as long as he had an umbrella, he could still travel.

“Come on out, Magikarp. This is the perfect time for you to stretch your fins.” He released Magikarp from its Poké Ball. For Water-types, a rainy day was as pleasant as a warm bath. Watching Magikarp splash about, Zhao Fang felt that it was in high spirits as well.

With that in mind, Zhao Fang began preparing food for Magikarp. Remembering yesterday’s debacle with the peppered pork, this time he added only one Pecha Berry and two Oran Berries to its meal, curious to see how that would affect the flavor.

Today’s dish was poached pork slices. The rainwater served as a ready-made ingredient, but since most of what he used was meant for Pokémon, Zhao Fang wouldn’t dream of eating it himself, no matter how fragrant it smelled.

“These Pokémon eat better than I do. Where’s the justice in that?” Zhao Fang thought about his own breakfast and felt a pang in his stomach.

His breakfast consisted of a slice of bread with a piece of ham and a bag of plain milk. Moomoo Milk cost extra, even though it was delicious.

[A serving of poached pork slices with a curious flavor. After consumption, base stats increase by 0.4.]

Looking at the message floating before his eyes, Zhao Fang quietly pulled out a notebook and recorded the results in Chinese. This was his research journal, his guide for future meal planning for his Pokémon.

And since it was written in Chinese, he didn’t have to worry about anyone else understanding it. People in the Pokémon world used an entirely different language system. If not for inheriting the memories of his predecessor after transmigrating here, Zhao Fang wouldn’t have been able to master it so quickly.

“Magikarp, time to eat.” Zhao Fang clapped his hands and set the dish on the picnic cloth. But then he noticed another issue.

Wasn’t this poached pork… a bit less than before?

Maybe it was just his imagination? Zhao Fang shrugged off the thought and brought Magikarp over to finish breakfast.

Watching Magikarp eat heartily, Zhao Fang felt a surge of joy, much like a farmer watching his crops grow strong. At this rate—and with his golden finger—Magikarp’s future after evolution was all but assured.

A Gyarados with a base stat total of 670—could you even call that a Gyarados anymore? “Lord Gyarados” would be more fitting. In his previous life, such a thing would’ve been deemed pure fantasy.

Once Magikarp finished eating, Zhao Fang dealt with his own hunger with the bread and milk, then returned Magikarp to its Poké Ball and set off briskly toward Petalburg City.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, two men in blue bandanas sat on the ground, faces bitter with frustration.

“Hey, Shu, did you find that guy?” The burly one with a beard rubbed his face, clearly irritated.

“No, I have no idea when it escaped. We went through so much trouble to snatch it from that useless fatso.” Shu’s frown was deep enough to form creases like tree bark.

That had been a lucky break for him. He’d spent a fortune in contribution points to rent a powerful Pokémon from the organization, just to defeat that fat man’s bodyguard and claim the rare Pokémon. Yet now it had fled!

It was like a cooked duck, already sliced and ready for sauce, suddenly taking flight—Shu felt as if a thousand Tauros were stampeding through his heart.

“Damn it, where could it be?”