Chapter 636: Cordelia's Enthusiasm

Chapter 636: Cordelia's Enthusiasm



"We're rich!"

Looking at the large pile of irregularly shaped diamonds before him, Jinghe licked his dry lips.

If this were in his previous life, diamonds would be deliberately labeled as "precious," and the value of such a pile of diamonds would be terrifying.

Even in the Pokemon world, such a large quantity of diamonds would still be a significant amount of money.

And this was only half of the diamonds in the "Diamond Village."

Wait a minute.

They haven't finished digging yet; they'll have to stay here for a while longer to continue.

Even with the Pokemon's efficiency far surpassing that of ordinary people, it would take more than a moment to dig up so many diamonds.

And with so many diamonds, the happiest one is undoubtedly Yuki.

The little guy now walks with his head held high, proudly, and those who don't know might think he's already eaten and digested all these diamonds.

It's a good thing Gengar's Shadow Space is large enough; otherwise, moving so many diamonds would be a problem.

"Yo, Ki?" Yuki approached Jinghe and immediately put away his previous "arrogant" attitude, asking softly.

Can I finally eat to my heart's content this time?

It's strange to say.

Jinghe usually doesn't interfere too much with Yuki's eating. As long as there are no issues, the little guy eats whenever he wants—walking, resting, watching TV, listening to stories, and even during training.

But he's never seen Yuki get full.

By "full," I mean Yuki's stomach is so full that he can't eat another bite.

Gengar also "never gets full," but that's partly because Gengar has a big appetite, and partly because Gengar likes to hide things.

When he can't eat anymore, he puts it in his mouth to hide it. No one knows if he's still eating or if he's already full.

But Yuki is different; he can't hide things in the shadows like Gengar. As long as there's food, he seems to be able to keep eating.

Could it be that the little guy's digestion and absorption speed is proportional to the amount of food he consumes, and he's never full?

A drop of cold sweat formed on Jinghe's forehead.

But facing the little guy's hopeful gaze, he glanced at the "diamond mountain" before him and didn't believe that Yuki's digestive ability was so exaggerated.

"Eat to your heart's content!" He waved his hand generously, "We dug up so many diamonds for you to eat your fill. Otherwise, wouldn't our efforts be in vain?"

"Yo, ki!!"

Power!!

"But first, let's move them back."

They still have to dig at this diamond mine for a while, so Jinghe decided to wait here for Juniper and the others to arrive before taking the little guys back to camp for lunch.

Whoosh!

Gengar took out a large number of diamonds and placed them on the ground, while Yuki sat next to him, stuffing large chunks into his mouth.

"Delicious!"

Tianxi, the princess of the Diamond Mine Country, was instantly conquered by Jinghe's cooking, her pink eyes sparkling.

However, compared to Gengar and Yuki's eating manners, Tianxi was undoubtedly much more well-mannered and elegant.

But the result was...

"No more?" Tianxi blinked, looking at the empty plate, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Arf!"

The Nine-Tails' tail stretched out, bringing a piece of cake that had been set aside earlier to Tianxi.

A Pokemon like Tianxi, who hasn't experienced the eating habits of the "Old Jing Family," would definitely struggle to adapt. The amount she could eat was unknown, so the Nine-Tails thoughtfully left a portion for Tianxi.

"Thank you," Tianxi said shyly but very gratefully.

"Arf!"

The Nine-Tails shook her head slightly, stretched out, and yawned, then curled up next to Jinghe for a post-meal nap.

After a short rest, it was time for their daily training.

"Has someone been here?"

During lunch, Regieleki shared what it had sensed earlier, but it wasn't sure, so it just mentioned it in passing.

Looking at Regieleki sitting obediently on a small stool, Jinghe stroked his chin.

In the sky, there was no sign of them, but there seemed to be fluctuations in the electric current.

Isn't this the standard setup for that father-daughter thief duo?

Indeed.

Those targeting Tianxi weren't just Lairte and Fream.

Why don't they come down to fight? If they did, Regieleki would definitely teach them a lesson.

But it doesn't matter.

After all, their target is Tianxi, and Jinghe's target is them.

"Burp~~"

Just as Jinghe was about to put aside his thoughts, he heard a burp that sounded like a roar.

Following the sound, he saw a scene that made his eyes twitch.

Yuki had finally eaten his fill, his little belly round and full, and it didn't look like he could fit any more, but at the cost of...

A pile of diamonds as tall as a person had been devoured by him.

These are diamonds, not stones. They are small in size but high in density. The amount he had initially purchased with Da Wu was only this much.

So, this is enough for Yuki to eat one meal?

How did such a small body manage to fit so much inside?

Yuki sat on the ground, leaning back, holding a branch of the World Tree in his hand to pick his teeth. Seeing Jinghe's gaze, he smiled, revealing his white teeth.

Jinghe: ". . ."

Two days later.

Finally, they finished digging up half of the diamonds in the "Diamond Village," and Jinghe and his group prepared to set off again.

As for Lairte and Fream, they had already been taken away by Juniper long ago.

Jinghe also entrusted Miss Junsha to see if she could extract any information about other Pokemon hunter groups from the two, especially the father-daughter thieves.

"It's getting stronger."

Over the course of two days, Jinghe observed the Yuki before him. Although it didn't seem to have changed much on the surface, he could clearly feel that Yuki's rough shell had become more robust.

"Yo-ki?"

Yuki tilted its head in confusion.

"What is it?"

These past two days had been extremely comfortable for Yuki; it was either eating or on its way to eat.

Aside from mining and daily training, most of its time was spent eating, and it was enjoying every moment of it.

Knock knock knock. Jinghe knocked on Yuki's shell, and a dull sound reverberated, accompanied by a hint of metallic resonance.

A faint metallic luster appeared on Yuki's body surface.

Iron Defense!

With Jinghe's persistent emphasis and Yuki's own efforts, it gradually managed to make Iron Defense a permanent state.

This further enhanced its already impressive defense, which was due to the large intake of minerals.

"I wonder if having 'Iron Defense' inside the ball is considered cheating," Jinghe muttered to himself.

Other people's Pokemon appear in their normal state when they enter the field, but Yuki gets an immediate defense boost of two or even four or more when it enters the field. I wonder if this would be considered a foul in competitions.

But in an unrestricted battle, it doesn't matter.

Having an Electric-type inside the ball is already a huge advantage, so having Iron Defense is nothing.

"Alright, let's go."

With Tianxi joining the team, Jinghe had no choice but to temporarily give up cycling and walk instead.

Fortunately, they weren't far from Shixiang Town, and he could check if he could rent an off-road vehicle once they arrived.

"By the way, is the cave entrance restored?"

Before leaving, Jinghe asked again to confirm.

"Hrooo!"

Bear Guide gave a thumbs-up. He had personally filled the cave entrance and then pounded it tightly with his fists. In terms of excavation difficulty, it would be much harder to reopen that passage than to dig a new one from the side.

"Then it's settled."

Jinghe was still quite concerned about the environment.

He didn't want to cause too much destruction and affect the living environment of the wild Pokemon.

"Let's go."

They set off again on their summer vacation journey.

Not long after Jinghe and his group left, a rhombus-shaped cell-like creature appeared on a tree in the forest, as if it had been observing them for some time without being noticed by Jinghe and his companions.

In a forest in eastern Castelia.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a gentle glow on the compacted road below, which was covered with a few fallen leaves, creating a soft crunching sound as they walked.

The trees on either side were tall and majestic, their branches intertwining to form an arched canopy that enveloped the entire path in a soothing green hue.

Small Arrow Sparrows flew swiftly overhead from time to time, and colorful Powder Butterflies flitted through the forest, occasionally revealing themselves.

The air was filled with the damp scent of earth, mixed with the faint fragrance of unknown wildflowers. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled, like countless tiny wind chimes gently swaying. The dappled light danced with the movement of the branches, casting a shifting web of light on the ground.

The beautiful environment brought a sense of joy to Jinghe and the Pokemon's hearts, as if their spirits were being cleansed by the surroundings.

Even Tianxi, who had been eager to find Xerneas, slowed down, captivated by the enchanting atmosphere.

"The environment in Castelia is probably one of the best, aside from the undeveloped Alola region," Jinghe thought to himself.

Perhaps it was due to the laid-back and romantic nature of the Castelians, but it was likely also because of the Life God Xerneas, and perhaps even the Order God Yveltal.

"Hngka?"

Gengu, floating in the shade of the trees, gently parted the grass, startling two Roselia hiding within. Tears welled up in their eyes, and they were so shocked that they forgot to run.

"Sorry," Jinghe apologized, bending down and offering two Energy Cubes.

The Roselia blinked a few times, and their tears instantly stopped.

"Thank you," they said, their voices filled with gratitude.

Jinghe patted Gengu's head lightly, indicating that it shouldn't bother these weak little Pokemon.

"Hngka," Gengu stuck out its tongue.

It hadn't expected to find two Roselia in the grass. Roselia was a cute Pokemon, small in size, and it was obvious that its appetite would never be large.

Moreover, whether it evolved into Roserade or its final form, Roserade, its beauty would never fade.

Trainers who raised Roselia could enjoy the 'pleasure' of nurturing a child to a young woman.

Unfortunately, both Roselia and its final form, Roserade, were pure Fairy-type Pokemon.

Jinghe already had Ice Ninetales and Gigalith as Fairy-type Pokemon in his team, and adding another would be excessive.

Furthermore, Jinghe acknowledged that he still had some way to go in terms of training Fairy-type Pokemon.

This was why he planned to visit Perfume City to meet with Masu.

"We're almost there, Rotom!"

Rotom, who was in charge of navigation, chimed in, indicating that they were close to Shixiang Town.

Shixiang Town.

If Jinghe's memory served him right, the ultimate weapon created by King AZ was located within this town, but without its energy supply, it had turned into mere stones, becoming one of Shixiang Town's famous attractions.

Shixiang Town gained its reputation from this very fact.

Naturally, Shixiang Town also produced a considerable amount of minerals and rare stones, often attracting mining and steel companies, or stone enthusiasts, from all over the world.

Beneath those stones, the Blaziken Squad's secret base was hidden, and their leader, Flarov, was working hard to activate the ultimate weapon.

Jinghe wasn't entirely uninterested in getting involved, as the plans of the Blaziken Squad and Flarov could significantly impact the environment and wild Pokemon.

However, he currently had no way to get involved.

He couldn't just barge into the Blaziken Squad's base alone, could he?

He wasn't a reckless brute, after all.

Moreover, the Blaziken Squad and Flarov were both formidable in their strength.

As for informing the Castelia League about the Blaziken Squad, what good would it do? The squad was currently operating under the name of the Flarov Institute, a well-known company in the Castelia region, and their virtual projection technology was gradually becoming widely used. They hadn't done anything wrong yet.

Furthermore, the Blaziken Squad had managed to infiltrate the League's inner circle, with one of their executives, Pachira, publicly known as a journalist, destined to become one of the Castelia region's Elite Four, specializing in Fire-type Pokemon.

Only the Rocket Squad and the Blaziken Squad had managed to place their members in the Elite Four, which spoke to Flarov's capabilities.

So, on this trip to Shixiang Town, Jinghe had no intention of confronting the Blaziken Squad, and thus, he didn't feel any pressure.

Continuing their journey, a rolling sound suddenly came from ahead of them. A girl with golden hair, wearing roller skates and protective gear, full of energy, appeared in their line of sight.

"Hey! Friend, want to have a battle?"

Before they could even see her face, her enthusiastic voice reached them.

Hearing this, Jinghe's expression became a bit odd.

What's with this 'Hey! Buddy, want to battle?'

Although he couldn't see her face clearly, Jinghe recognized her from her attire. It was Cordelia, the Gym Leader of Pahra City in the Castelia region!

As she approached and recognized Jinghe, Cordelia's expression froze for a moment, then turned into a delighted smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Teacher Jinghe?!" she exclaimed.

Cordelia and Cao Dou were rising stars among young female fighters in the Pokemon world.

It was unclear when it started, but the number of female fighters in the Pokemon world had gradually increased, with most of the older, established masters being male, while the younger generation was predominantly female.

This included Cordelia, Cao Dou, and even Ali from the Parida region, as well as Pipa and Huangbo from the Orange Academy in the Parida region.

Cao Dou could even be considered Jinghe's student, having followed him and "studied" his fighting techniques for a period.

When Cao Dou challenged the World Fighting Master, she also battled Cordelia, and the two girls shared a mutual respect for each other's skills.

Cao Dou was shy and introverted, while Cordelia was outgoing and generous, making them complementary in many ways.

"It's really you, Teacher Jinghe!"

After confirming Jinghe's identity, Cordelia skated forward eagerly, her face turning slightly red, perhaps from excitement or the exertion of skating.

"Uh..."

Facing such an enthusiastic Cordelia, Jinghe was momentarily at a loss for words, only able to nod and say, "Hello, Cordelia."

Another human-shaped female Machop, but Cordelia was a bit more subdued than Cao Dou.

"Teacher Jinghe, you know me?"

At that moment, a Lucario swiftly darted through the forest, following behind Cordelia. When she stopped, it landed beside her.

As the Lucario looked at Jinghe, Cordelia's Lucario's eyes widened slightly.

"Ruka?"

How strong was this Aura! How could a human have such powerful Aura?

This was the first time Lucario had seen a human with an Aura even more intense than its own. Noticing Lucario's change in expression, Cordelia gave him a puzzled look.

"Ruka!"

Lucario shook its head and looked at Jinghe with newfound respect in its eyes.

Only Pokemon with Aura understood how difficult it was to train and develop Aura. For a human to possess such powerful Aura, they must be an exceptional Aura Master or Fighting Master.

In truth, Jinghe wanted to say that training Aura was simply a matter of feeding them Rainbow Feather and, recently, adding Cosmic Arm to their diet.

Facing Cordelia's question, Jinghe could only reply, "Cao Dou mentioned you."

He wasn't entirely sure if Cordelia had become the Pahra City Gym Leader yet.

"Cao Dou!"

At the mention of Cao Dou, Cordelia's expression became even more energetic, and then she looked curious.

"What did she say about me?"

Jinghe and Cao Dou weren't completely out of touch.

After Cao Dou had followed him and "trained" with him for a while, she had gone on to challenge Fighting Masters all over the world.

Every once in a while, Cao Dou would call Jinghe to report on his studies and challenges. He even mentioned his encounter with Cordelia in the Castelia region.

In Cao Dou's words, she was a "passionate girl."

"Really? Is that so?"

Upon hearing this, Cordelia raised her hands high and burst into laughter, "Hahaha!"

Although it was unclear what she was laughing about, Jinghe somehow saw a glimpse of Da Ye's shadow in Cordelia.

"Teacher Jinghe!"

Suddenly, Cordelia shouted again, her eyes filled with anticipation, "Can I become your apprentice? Please teach me fighting skills and Mega Evolution!"

Apprenticeship?

This wasn't a typical teacher-student relationship in the academy.

If you want to take on a student, you should have something to teach them.

What if he throws out a shoulder throw in a moment? What is there to teach then?

Strictly speaking, Jinghe was Cao Dou's teacher, not his master.

"Ahem." Jinghe cleared his throat, "I currently have no plans to take on an apprentice."

"Oh."

Cordelia's head drooped, and she looked dejected.

Her family could be considered the first in the entire Pokemon world to master Mega Evolution. Even before Mega Evolution was publicly announced, members of Cordelia's family already knew how to use it.

However, at that time, they believed Mega Evolution was a power that a fighter could master with their Pokemon after reaching a certain level of training, rather than a widely accessible ability.

In such a family, Cordelia still hasn't mastered Mega Evolution with her partner, Lucario.

Because of this, Cordelia has been diligently training, challenging trainers from all over in her travels, as part of her self-imposed training regimen.

Just as Jinghe was thinking of comforting Cordelia, she immediately perked up.

"Then, please battle me, Teacher Jinghe!"

Cordelia clenched her hands and issued another battle invitation.

In her mind, as long as she could demonstrate her strength, she might have a chance to gain Teacher Jinghe's approval!

Jinghe rubbed his temples with a slight headache.

Another battle?

Battling Cordelia, sending out Gengar would seem unfair, and Yuki's recent battle frequency has been quite high, and its level is not low.

"Yoki?"

Yuki chewed, and upon noticing Lucario's gaze, it dug out a diamond and offered it.

A little snack?

"Lu... Lucario?"

Lucario was initially curious about the "crunching" sound, and when it saw the diamond Yuki offered, its expression froze.

Diamond?

Raw?

"Lucario! Lucario!"

Lucario waved its hands in refusal.

No! Thank you.

"Yoki."

Yuki didn't hesitate and popped the diamond into its mouth, chewing again.

Crunch—crunch—

Lucario: "..."

It's treating it like a candy bean?

Those teeth

If bitten, wouldn't it break bones?

Ding-ding—

"Incoming call, Rotom!"

Suddenly, Rotom, holding a phone, flew out of Jinghe's pocket.

Jinghe heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said to Cordelia, "Sorry, I need to take this call."

"Oh, okay!" Cordelia obediently waited on the side.

He pressed the answer button.

"Teacher Jinghe, the exercise location is Oluans Forest," Miss Junsha's voice came through the phone.

Oluans Forest?

Where is that?

Jinghe looked at Rotom, signaling it to search for the location.

In every region, there are numerous forests, but Jinghe couldn't possibly remember all of them. He only knew the more famous ones, like the Tokiwa Forest and the White Forest in the Castelia region.

However, Rotom quickly located it on the map.

"Oluans Forest, located in the northwest corner of the Castelia region, between Seafoam City and Perfume City, near the sea. Famous attractions include the Ring Waterfall, and active Pokemon like Spearow, Pangoro, and Aromatisse."

"Alright, I understand." Jinghe said to Miss Junsha on the phone.

After hanging up, Jinghe turned to Cordelia with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, Cordelia, I have something else to take care of. Could we postpone the battle?"

Jinghe used the "delay" tactic.

When Cao Dou arrives, it's better to let him battle Cordelia.

A battle between two female humanoid Machamps should be more interesting.

"Sure!"

Cordelia didn't show disappointment this time; instead, she nodded vigorously.

However, when Jinghe prepared to leave, Cordelia followed closely behind him.

"What are you doing?"

"Oluans Forest! I know where it is, Teacher Jinghe! Let me guide you there!" Cordelia smiled with determination.

She didn't hear what was said on the phone, but she heard Rotom's navigation.

It's not too late to challenge Jinghe after he finishes his business!

Jinghe: "..."

Maybe it's better to battle now.

Jinghe glanced at Cordelia, then at Tianxi, who was admiring flowers while squatting by the roadside grass, and also thought of Regieleki, temporarily residing in a luxury Poke Ball.

This team...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end