https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-456-It-Turns-Out-to-Be-a-Tsundere/12944667/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-458-The-Salt-King-s-Self-Cultivation/12944669/
Chapter 457: Challenge Me? You Need to Beat My Student First
Chapter 457: Challenge Me? You Need to Beat My Student First
"Pokemon?"
Upon hearing Dr. Komoku's words, Jinghe was slightly taken aback.
However, recalling his reputation as a renowned "Pokemon Psychologist," he quickly accepted the situation.
"I wonder which Pokemon it is?" Jinghe asked with a hint of curiosity.
"It's from Teacher Ginia at Citrus Academy in the Paldea Region. She sent me a few Pokemon and asked if I could help research their physiological conditions, especially regarding their egg groups," Dr. Komoku explained.
Teacher Ginia?
She was a biology teacher at Citrus Academy in the Paldea Region, well-versed in Pokemon ecology, and a renowned researcher in her own right.
"Pokemon from the Paldea Region," Jinghe murmured.
"There's no rush. It's getting late today, so you can rest for the night and start tomorrow," Dr. Komoku said with a smile.
"Alright."
Jinghe nodded, not declining the offer, as the sun was indeed about to set.
"Fortunately, I've already prepared a room for you, but it's a bit simple. I hope you don't mind," Crystal said.
"Not at all."
After a few more pleasantries, Crystal led Jinghe to his guest room.
"Teacher Jinghe, is this Poffin your newly captured Pokemon?" Crystal, being familiar with Jinghe's Pokemon, knew his roster and couldn't help but voice her curiosity while guiding him.
Jinghe smiled slightly and glanced at the Poffin in his arms, already fast asleep. The little guy had been through a lot during the day, getting caught in a cyclone, and was understandably terrified.
"No, I just happened to help it out, so we're friends now," Jinghe explained.
"Oh," Crystal realized.
The relationship between a Trainer and their Pokemon wasn't solely defined by capture and obedience.
Many Trainers formed close friendships with Pokemon without capturing them.
Moreover, not all Pokemon enjoyed being captured or confined to Poke Balls, preferring to avoid battles.
"Teacher, we're here," Crystal announced as they reached the end of the second-floor corridor.
"Thank you," Jinghe said, opening the door.
The room was not spacious, containing only a bed and a desk, but it was spotlessly clean and tidy, contrasting sharply with the slightly cluttered research facility on the first floor.
Crystal must have put in a lot of effort to keep the room so immaculate.
Suddenly, a voice echoed from outside the corridor window.
her hair, a hint of concern in his eyes.
"Crystal!"
The voice belonged to a young man.
Crystal, recognizing the voice, couldn't help but touch her forehead and force a smile, addressing Jinghe, "Teacher Jinghe, it's nothing."
However, they both walked to the window and looked down.
Below, a black-clad figure with a backwards baseball cap and sunglasses, holding a cue stick and making a 'Poss' sound, stood there—none other than Akane.
"Huh?"
Upon seeing more than just Crystal's silhouette through the window, Akane instinctively paused, surprised.
Due to the lighting and angle, he could only make out their silhouettes, and Jinghe's all-black outfit, hat, and wayfarer sunglasses gave him an untrustworthy air.
Akane's expression darkened, and he pointed at Jinghe, shouting, "Hey! Who's this black-clad guy?"
As he spoke, he swung the cue stick, and a Longtail Oddish swiftly climbed onto it, reaching the end and springing off in a single bound.
"Go, Tailtaro!" Akane commanded.
Using the cue stick as a springboard, Longtail Oddish leaped to the second-floor window, grinning at Jinghe and Crystal.
Witnessing this, Jinghe's heart stirred.
A battle without discrimination, right from the start—truly befitting of Akane.
Crystal, seeing this, grew agitated. She couldn't believe Akane would confront Teacher Jinghe without even asking, "This guy, Akane..."
Too impulsive!
Too rude! But Jinghe wasn't entirely surprised.
After all, this guy had fearlessly challenged Dr. Oak and Adou without hesitation—a true hothead.
However, Jinghe was taken aback by Akane's strength.
How could a child not yet ten years old wield such power with the long cue stick, Longtail Oddish's weight, its jumping force, and the leverage from the end of the stick?
As Jinghe pondered, Longtail Oddish had already reached him, and just as Crystal was about to cry out, a dark shadow appeared before Jinghe.
Gengar, without hesitation, responded with a playful grin.
"Gengai! (▼▼;)"
"Eeek!"
Longtail Oddish was startled by Gengar's sudden appearance, its hair standing on end, and its tail stiffening.
Before it could reach the window, it began to fall back down.
Fortunately, Jinghe's quick reflexes kicked in, and he grabbed Longtail Oddish's tail, suspending it mid-air.
"Tailtaro!" Akane exclaimed in surprise.
"Damn!"
Akane hadn't anticipated the strength of the black-clad figure who had "kidnapped" Crystal, especially when he saw that he had also captured Tailtaro.
"You wait!"
Akane pointed at Jinghe with the cue stick, rolled up his sleeves, and climbed a nearby tree with ease, seemingly preparing to jump into the room and engage Jinghe in a one-on-one battle.
Jinghe's expression turned slightly peculiar at this sight.
Akane, your tree-climbing skills are quite impressive.
He couldn't help but think of a certain "old acquaintance."
Fortunately, Crystal had also regained her composure and shouted, "Akane!"
"This is Teacher Jinghe!"
Hearing the name "Teacher Jinghe," Akane paused for a moment, then stumbled and fell from the tree.
"Gengai~~"
Fortunately, Gramps floated over and lifted him into the air, where he and Longtail Oddish stared at each other from a distance.
"Gengai? (￢з￢)σ"
Gramps looked at Jinghe and pointed at Akane.
Is this guy an idiot?
With the change in perspective, Akane finally got a good look at the person standing next to Crystal, and exclaimed in surprise, "It's really Teacher Jinghe!"
Seeing him like this, he seemed to know Jinghe as well.
"Haha!!!" Akane waved his hands and feet in the air, shouting excitedly, "Teacher Jinghe, let's have a one-on-one battle!"
Jinghe: "."
Crystal covered her face.
To be honest, knowing Akane made her feel like it wasn't something Teacher Jinghe should know about; it was a bit embarrassing.
Suddenly, Jinghe felt that coming to Leaf Town to find Akane, and then going to find Little Silver from Akane, was a very wrong decision.
However, facing Akane's enthusiasm, Jinghe still agreed, "Okay."
Crystal, who heard this, looked at Jinghe with some surprise, while Akane seemed very excited.
As long as he could defeat Teacher Jinghe, countless honors and praises would come flooding in.
Akane tilted his head slightly, closed his eyes, and spread his arms, as if he was already under the spotlight, surrounded by flowers and applause.
But before he could daydream for long, he heard Jinghe continue with a smile, "But if you want to challenge me, you have to beat my student first."
"Student?" Akane and Crystal simultaneously showed confusion.
"It's not that hard." Jinghe waved his hand dismissively.
"Who?"
"Zufuchi Daigo."
Crystal's eyes widened.
Zufuchi Daigo, the young master of Dew Company?!
It was only in the past six months that Jinghe's reputation had gradually grown; if it was half a year ago, Zufuchi Daigo's name would have been much more well-known than Jinghe's.
This was evident from the fact that they were in Chengdu but were very familiar with Johto Daigo.
Moreover,
The difficulty of defeating Teacher Jinghe and defeating Daigo was not much different for Akane, right?!
Either way, he couldn't beat either of them.
Akane scratched his head, "Do I have to go all the way to Johto? That's so far away."
Black lines appeared on Crystal's forehead.
Is that the main point?!
Jinghe gently shook the Longtail Oddish in his hand, infusing it with a subtle wave of Wave Guide.
"Yi~(≧▽≦)"
So comfortable
"Tailtaro, what's wrong with you? Tailtaro!!!"
Longtail Oddish was feeling comfortable and didn't have time to pay attention to Akane.
"Or, you can beat me first, and that will count as passing the test." Jinghe said with a smile.
Chengdu Region?
That's close!
"Who?" Akane asked involuntarily.
"Little Silver."
"Little Silver?"
Not only Akane but also Crystal showed confusion.
Who is that? I've never heard of them.
However, if Teacher Jinghe mentioned them, they might not be too far behind Mr. Daigo.
"Where are they?"
Jinghe shrugged, "Then you'll have to find them yourself."
As he spoke, he waved his hand slightly, tossing the comfortable Longtail Oddish towards Akane.
"Yi~."
Longtail Oddish suddenly felt a sense of loss, but it quickly climbed onto Akane's shoulder with agility.
"Good! After I beat Little Silver, I'll come back to challenge you, Teacher Jinghe!" Akane said solemnly.
Little Silver should be an easy opponent! The smile on Jinghe's face grew brighter, and he gave Gramps a look, "Then I'll wait for you."
"Don't worry!"
After landing, Akane adjusted his hat and gave Jinghe an "OK" gesture, then ran home without looking back.
He completely forgot why he was looking for Crystal in the first place.
"Teacher Jinghe, this Little Silver..." Crystal was a bit worried about Akane's impulsiveness.
"It's fine, Little Silver is about the same age as him." Jinghe said.
About the same age?
Then it should be fine, right?
After Crystal left, Jinghe looked at Gramps, who was covering his mouth and laughing, and couldn't help but smile as well.
"It went smoother than expected."
"Gengai~"
The next day.
"Bop~Bop Keke Bop, Bop, Bop~Bop~Bop~"
Jinghe woke up to the singing of Poffin.
"Bop~!"
Seeing that Jinghe was indeed unaffected by his singing, the early-rising Poffin stood on the desk like a victorious general, holding the microphone high with indescribable excitement.
He immediately coughed lightly twice, preparing for a formal performance.
"Bop! Li Wu"
Before he could even open his mouth, an Energy Cube was stuffed into his mouth.
Interrupt the spell!
"Bop~!"
Poffin sat on the desk, placed the microphone on his feet, and started eating the Energy Cube in small bites.
Jinghe opened the window and took a deep breath of fresh air.
After some experimentation, he finally managed to master Poffin's "switch," and his mood was particularly good.
Having Poffin as a resident performer at the cafe might affect business.
But as an assistant at the psychological clinic, it was actually quite good, as most of the time, hypnosis wouldn't be necessary.
In the Kalos Region, Nurse Joy's partner Pokemon was Poffin's evolved form, Poffin.
Of course, Poffin's temperament was restless, and if it wanted to leave, Jinghe wouldn't stop it.
"Yo~Yo~Chirp~Yo~"
Babylas thought Poffin's singing was fun and couldn't help but imitate it.
"Bop~!"
Poffin immediately realized that Babylas was singing incorrectly, and his cheeks puffed up as he jumped off the desk with a fierce attitude and walked to Babylas' side
to teach him.
"Bop~~"
"Yo~!"
The two little guys sang and harmonized, one teaching and one learning, and for a while, the room became filled with chirping and chattering.
The backyard of Dr. Komoku's laboratory.
This place is quite similar to the backyard of Professor Oak's laboratory, except for the slightly smaller scale, but it's still undoubtedly a large research area.
It shows the League's high regard for Dr. Komoku.
Dr. Komoku, Jinghe, and Crystal, the three of them in a jeep, drove over a small hill and arrived at the habitat of Paldea-originated Pokemon.
"Is that a Raticate family?"
Seeing the four white little mice, two big and two small, living on the grass, Jinghe's face showed a look of surprise.
The Raticate family is a rather unique Pokemon.
They evolve from a pair of Rattata.
Usually, a pair of Rattata consists of only two, looking like a married couple, but their actual gender has not yet been clearly determined in research.
The Raticate family, on the other hand, evolves from a pair of Rattata. When their level reaches a certain threshold, the two Rattata will transform into four, as if they have gained two children, forming a family.
However, in rare cases, there might only be one additional child, with a probability of almost one percent, making it a rare "three-member family."
Regardless of whether it's a pair of Rattata with two, a "three-member family" with three, or a "four-member family" with four, they are all considered as one Pokemon.
It's a bit like Kangaskhan and its child.
Dr. Komoku smiled and said, "Jinghe, you are indeed knowledgeable. The Raticate family is also a rare Pokemon in the Paldea region. They have been the main focus of my recent research."
The Raticate family's method of reproduction greatly interests this Pokemon egg group expert.
"This is not easy," Jinghe muttered.
"Indeed," Dr. Komoku agreed wholeheartedly.
"But with Kangaskhan and Kricketune as references, I've already grasped some direction."
Jinghe nodded.
Kangaskhan and the Raticate family are both mother-child combinations, and even during Mega Evolution, they possess an extremely unique ability called 'Parental Bond', making them one-of-a-kind in the entire Pokemon world.
Kricketune is also similar to the Raticate family, as it is composed of multiple individuals forming a whole Pokemon, and it belongs to the 'Genderless' category.
Seeing the Raticate family, Jinghe understood why Teacher Ginia from Citrus Academy hoped to receive help from Dr. Komoku.
This kind of research is still quite challenging.
However, regardless of whether it's the Raticate family or a pair of Rattata, as long as it's not during their special moments, their temperament is relatively gentle.
The jeep continued to move forward.
Soon, it stopped by a not-so-small artificial lake, where numerous Water-type Pokemon seemed to inhabit.
On the shore, several dark brown stones stood out slightly.
"Chirp!"
The Tyrogue jumped out of the Poke Ball on its own and, upon seeing the rocks, its eyes lit up, eager to pounce and take a bite.
However, Jinghe held its head, preventing it from moving forward.
She gently tapped the Tyrogue's head and scolded with a smile, "Look carefully, those are Pokemon!"
"Chirp?"
Although it didn't hurt at all, the Tyrogue still covered its head, looking pitifully at Jinghe, then at the stones, swallowing its saliva.
One could vaguely see several pitch-black holes on those stones, seemingly hiding something inside.
"Dr. Komoku, is it a Seismitoad family?" Jinghe looked at Dr. Komoku.
Dr. Komoku had also gotten out of the car, holding a stone in his hand and throwing it towards a special stone by the lake.
Clatter-clatter-clatter—
The stone bounced on the ground, and three red tentacle-like objects emerged from the stone, grabbing the stone Dr. Komoku threw and quickly wrapping around it, crushing it into powder.
"Chirp, Chirp! Σ(дlll)"
The Tyrogue was startled by this sight and subconsciously put itself in the stone's position, taking a small step back.
However, it quickly forgot its fright and began looking around, its eyes lighting up when it spotted the stone mill not far away.
The Seismitoad family is a Slaking Pokemon, resembling Sealeo somewhat, but they are pure Water-type Pokemon that evolve from Sealeo, and they have a very aggressive temperament.
From this perspective, this artificial lake should be called an "artificial sea," Jinghe thought.
The Seismitoad family's reproduction is also a pretty good research topic.
Dr. Komoku entered his research state, muttering to himself, "After returning to their natural habitat, the Seismitoad family has fully adapted to this environment, awaiting their reproduction."
Seeing this, Crystal took over the task of introduction.
She cautiously tugged at Jinghe's clothes, pointing to the other side of the 'artificial sea', where rocks were piled up, and said, "Teacher Jinghe, Dr. Komoku wants to entrust you with a task over there."
There, the green-skinned little dinosaur, Tyrogue, was sneaking over.
Jinghe's face twitched, and he shouted, "Tyrogue!"
"Chirp?"
Tyrogue's body stiffened, and he turned his head with an awkward smile.
Damn, I've been discovered. Rumble-rumble—
At that moment, a rumble came from the pile of stones.
The stone mill shook, scattering debris, and several Pokemon that seemed entirely made of rocks, resembling stone piles from a pixelated world, wobbled to their feet.
Crystal's expression changed slightly, and she said nervously, "Teacher Jinghe, these guys have a bit of a temper."
Jinghe's eyebrows rose.
"Saltstone Golem?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
