Chapter 650: Jinghe, Male: It's My Fault?

Chapter 650: Jinghe, Male: It’s My Fault?

"Even Teacher Jinghe, Male is participating in such a competition? That’s really unfair!"

Outside a café on one of the islands of the Wind Festival, Jinghe, Male, sitting under an umbrella, couldn’t help but press his cap down a little more as he listened to the passing trainers’ complaints.

Gurgle—gurgle—

The juice in his cup finally ran out, and Jinghe, Male smacked his lips.

"It’s rare to drink juice, so changing the flavor is quite nice."

The passing contestants were still muttering.

"Exactly! Isn’t this bullying? When I find him, I’ll make him give me three autographs!"

"Three? You must be joking! I say thirty! I won’t let him leave until he signs them all!"

"I heard someone saw Teacher Jinghe, Male at the Ferris wheel."

"Let’s go! Hurry up!"

Tap—tap—tap—

Several people quickly ran off.

Jinghe, Male let out a slight sigh of relief, "I wonder if I have enough to win the championship now."

As for bullying?

What a joke!

It’s a fair competition; there’s no such thing as bullying. Z-Crystals are highly valuable, and even if he doesn’t need a complete set, selling a few could easily cover a few small goals.

Then he’d be financially free, able to buy a small island for a vacation!

Jinghe, Male thought with a contented smile.

"Gengar!"

"Yuki!"

"Not a chance!"

Gengue, Male returned with its "henchmen" Yuki and the "intelligence officer" Bidoof after a busy session. The number of blue Poké Balls attached to Gengue, Male’s belt seemed to indicate a bountiful harvest.

"Almost enough?"

Gengue, Male, along with Yuki and Bidoof, plopped into their seats and gulped down the juice that Jinghe, Male had ordered for them. Only Bidoof looked cautious, seeming a bit uneasy and afraid.

Jinghe, Male pointed to the chair next to him and said to Bidoof, "Sit down and drink. Don’t be like them. Here, take a straw."

"Not a chance."

Bidoof hesitantly sat down, taking the straw Jinghe, Male handed him, still somewhat uncomfortable.

In the breeding house, everyone didn’t eat like this.

"Gengar~"

Of course, when I act, success is guaranteed!

Gengue, Male wiped its mouth, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"Yuki!"

Yuki clenched its fists, swinging them left and right, acting as if it had just knocked out several opponents in a row, showing off its great strength.

Jinghe, Male just smiled, his eyes catching sight of a small green figure on the rooftop across the street, peeking at them.

It was the Snivy from before.

Since Jinghe, Male sat down at the café, it had been watching him, but he didn’t say anything about it.

But now—

"Want some?"

Jinghe, Male picked up an extra cup of juice and gently shook it towards the Snivy.

Caught off guard, Snivy nearly fell off the roof but saw Jinghe, Male’s gesture and, with its arms crossed, jumped into the alley behind it.

"Hiss!"

Pfft—

"Alright."

Jinghe, Male placed the juice on the table, stretched, and said, "Let’s go. The competition isn’t over yet; we should see how Hiruna is doing with the digging."

Many people are looking for me now. If I’m not careful, I’ll be surrounded. Since the championship is secure, I might as well slip away and come back for the awards ceremony.

After leaving his seat and walking a short distance, Jinghe, Male suddenly stopped.

"Gengar?"

Under Gengue, Male’s puzzled gaze, Jinghe, Male smiled and turned back.

"Hisss?"

Snivy abruptly raised its head from the juice cup, its face covered in red watermelon juice, eyes wide with shock and fear.

Seeing Jinghe, Male’s gaze, Snivy’s face turned beet red. It opened its mouth to protest but found it hard to come up with a defense.

"Hisss!! (¬_¬)"

"Ha-ha-ha—"

Jinghe, Male laughed heartily, leading the equally chuckling Yuki and Gengue, Male away.

In the flower fields behind Windy City.

Hiruna held a small spade, strolling through the flower fields, finding one flower lovely and then another, caught in a dilemma.

Hydreigon lay on its back in the nearby flowers, with two Bellossom playing around it.

This usually fierce Pokémon surprisingly showed a gentle side when faced with such adorable Pokémon.

In contrast, Hiruna’s Glaceon was much more lively, chasing Butterfree around the flower beds.

Jinghe, Male approached with Gengue, Male and the others.

He quietly walked up behind Hiruna, a mischievous smile on his face. He scooped up a handful of moist soil and, looking at Hiruna’s clean face, quickly smeared it on her face.

The wind rustled through the flower bed.

Hiruna looked up and saw Jinghe, Male suddenly appear. He smiled and said proudly, "Look, these flowers look even better during the day."

Jinghe, Male grinned, lifting his dirt-covered fingers and waving them in front of Hiruna, hinting that he had just done something mischievous.

But Hiruna wasn't surprised at all, as if he had noticed it all along.

Realizing this, Jinghe, Male asked, "Why didn't you dodge?"

"Why should I?"

Hiruna's smile was radiant as he grabbed Jinghe, Male's hand and smeared it on the other side of his face. The elastic skin beneath the thin layer of dirt transmitted the sensation to Jinghe, Male's fingertips, leaving a smudge of dirt on Hiruna's pale cheek.

I...

Jinghe, Male instantly felt guilty.

Damn it, Jinghe, Male, you're such a jerk!

"Rip!"

Hydreigon, who had been lying in the flower bed, immediately sprang up and transformed into a ferocious beast upon witnessing the entire scene.

Old dog Jing, I'm going to kill you!!!

Fortunately, Gengue, Male held Hydreigon's arms from behind.

"Gege! Gege!"

Calm down, Shark Sister, calm down!

Jinghe, Male "snatched" the small spade from Hiruna's hand and started digging in the ground.

He knew Hiruna was having a hard time choosing, so he decided to take them all!

Hiruna smiled and held the juice Jinghe, Male had brought, squatting beside him and sipping it slowly.

"Don't dig the ground bare, that's not good."

"It's fine", Jinghe, Male wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They're all wild, and I'll have someone help me, so they'll grow back quickly."

Giratina Core: Help? Who?

"You're participating in that 'Pokémon Capture Contest,' right?"

"Zulan."

Before Hiruna could finish, Jinghe, Male suddenly stopped his actions and called her name.

"Hmm?"

Caught off guard, Hiruna was puzzled as to why Jinghe, Male suddenly called her.

But then she heard Jinghe, Male turn and look into her eyes, speaking seriously, "I like you."

Hiruna was stunned again. Jinghe, Male's usually composed face turned slightly red, and he buried his head, digging again with a huff.

Then she heard herself call out, "Jinghe, Male."

" Hmm?"

"I like you too."

Sigh~

Jinghe, Male stopped his actions and looked at her again. He saw her eyes curved into a crescent, the blush spreading from her pale neck to her cheeks and ears, but she was still looking at him with a tilted head.

Phew—

Jinghe, Male let out a long breath, feeling his heart pounding rapidly, the sound of "thump, thump" ringing in his ears, and his whole body filled with energy.

As Yuki would say, that's Power!!

Plop—

Giratina Core jumped off Jinghe, Male's shoulder on its own.

Damn it!

It wasn't here to watch dog food!

It might be chased away again, so it decided to take the initiative.

"Since when?" But before he could revel in the moment for long, Hiruna blinked her curious eyes and asked.

Jinghe, Male: "..."

Do all girls ask this kind of question?

Then comes the love, how much, how long, and whether you have someone else or not, and so on.

Jinghe, Male had only seen these questions online before, finding them amusing and thinking the guys were a bit pitiful, but he never expected it to happen to him.

But he was straightforward. Since he had already said the hardest part, he didn't need to be shy.

"From the beginning", Jinghe, Male said, still digging while looking down.

"From the beginning?"

Hiruna blinked her eyes again.

"The first time we met?"

It couldn't have been the first phone call, could it?

That would be a bit far-fetched.

So...

"Rip!" Hydreigon, held by Gengue, Male, roared again.

You're despicable! You just want our family's cabbage's body!

"Your turn", Jinghe, Male asked in return.

Hiruna smiled mysteriously.

"I won't tell you."

Jinghe, Male: "..."

"You're digging a bit too much", Hiruna changed the subject.

"It's okay, I guess."

Looking at the two buckets filled with flowers.

Well, it is a bit much.

"Wait until later, I'll plant a whole sea of flowers for you!" Jinghe, Male said, patting the full buckets.

"Then I'll look forward to it."

"Hydreigon, come carry the buckets." Jinghe, Male stood up and stuck the spade into the flower bucket.

"Rip—!!!"

Don't you dare command me!

"Gege~ Gege~"

Calm down, the world is so beautiful, yet you...

"You haven't answered. Weren't you participating in the contest? Why are you here?"

"The contest is pretty relaxed."

Boom!!!

Suddenly, a deep purple smoke cloud, resembling a mushroom cloud, exploded on the road between the Wind Festival venue and Windy City.

The smoke didn't cause much damage, but it spread at an exaggerated speed toward Windy City.

"Damn it!"

Jinghe, Male stared at the deep purple smoke, momentarily stunned, and blurted out.

"What is—"

Hiruna was also taken aback by the sudden explosion, looking confused.

"Hmm?"

Gengue, Male released the Hydreigon and placed his hand on his forehead, gazing into the distance.

Is there a fireworks show? What a strange fireworks show, and it's purple. I like it~

Purple is the most charming color.

"Skra!" The Hydreigon glanced at it irritably.

Idiot! This is clearly an attack!

"Hmm?"

Yuki, who was sitting in the flower bed gnawing on a root, scratched its head and stood up.

A big explosion?

None of them, including Hiruna, understood what was happening, but Jinghe, Male knew something was wrong. He immediately took out his phone and called Zhen Niao.

"Teacher Jinghe, Male?" Zhen Niao's voice came through the phone.

"Where are they?" Jinghe, Male got straight to the point.

"They? They're filming in Hoenn."

"Got it."

After hanging up, Jinghe, Male rubbed his temples.

The Rocket Team trio was filming in Hoenn, so the explosion in front of him couldn't have been caused by them. Who could it be?

In the movie Our Story, the Rocket Team trio stole the research results, "Spore Agent", from Windy City's researcher, Torito, and accidentally caused an explosion when the agent was dropped, leading to the rapid spread of the Spore Agent, which threatened both Windy City and the wild Pokémon outside the city.

This "Spore Agent" is derived from the Pokémon characteristic "Spore", and it causes anyone or any Pokémon who inhale it to become "paralyzed."

But—

The Rocket Team trio isn't here, so who triggered the Spore Agent?

"What's going on?" Hiruna looked at Jinghe, Male, who had put away his phone.

Jinghe, Male rubbed his temples and shook his head. "I don't know, but something definitely happened. That smoke looks a lot like Pokémon spores."

"Spores?"

Hiruna frowned.

Considering the speed at which the smoke was spreading and its effects—

The entire city could be in trouble.

A lot of people had come to Windy City for the Wind Festival.

More importantly—

If the "Spore Agent" leak was just an accident, that would be one thing, but if someone did it on purpose—

"We need to go check it out." Jinghe, Male understood the gravity of the situation.

Even if it wasn't intentional, the paralyzing smoke could cause major accidents if it spread completely—people driving, cooking, or taking a shower could be in serious danger!

"Right!"

Hiruna summoned Hydreigon, and Jinghe, Male threw a Poké Ball to summon Dratini, quickly putting on protective gear and putting away the other Pokémon.

"Let's go, Dratini!"

"Woo~~"

Dratini took to the sky.

Hydreigon, who didn't bare its fangs at Jinghe, Male this time, flew beside Dratini.

The two quickly headed toward the direction of the smoke.

Hiruna, half-crouching on Hydreigon's back, suddenly asked:

"Was the person on the phone a girl?"

"Huh?"

Outside Windy City, in an abandoned house.

"I brought you some food, moo milk and oran berries." Ragoku walked with light steps, curiously looking around and speaking softly.

But after waiting for a while, there was still no movement. Ragoku looked disappointed.

"I left it under the tree, don't forget to eat it."

Ragoku carefully placed the food under the tree, took a couple of steps back, and waited again.

But there was still no movement.

"Imai~"

Teddiursa, who had come with her, gently tugged at Ragoku's pant leg and pointed to the food under the tree.

"No, Teddiursa, you just ate. You can eat again when we get home. This is for it."

"Imai."

Teddiursa's ears drooped.

"Mama~"

Another Pokémon that had come with Ragoku was a Ditto, which seemed to have noticed something and pointed to the nearby dense forest.

Ragoku's gaze followed, and she saw a Diglett hastily dart out of the forest, looking extremely nervous.

The next second.

Bang!!

It sounded like a gunshot, and a large net shot out from the forest, pinning the Diglett to the ground.

"Diglett!" Ragoku exclaimed.

"Now we have to catch even these trash Pokémon."

"Can't help it, times are tough. We'll take what we can get."

Two bulky figures emerged from the forest, grumbling, with capture nets in their hands.

Clearly, they were the ones who had caught the Diglett.

"Once we get into the city, it'll be better. They said we're pulling off a big job together."

"Who knows how big the job is—"

Before he finished, one of them noticed Ragoku standing by the ruins, along with her Teddiursa and Ditto.

The burly man's eyes lit up. "Look what I found, a Teddiursa and a Ditto! These are much more valuable than Diglett!"

Ragoku immediately understood their identities and hurriedly shielded Teddiursa and Ditto behind her. "Y-You..."

The taller, thinner man waved his hand casually. "Little girl, we're Pokémon hunters. We won't harm you, so run if you want to."

The burly man grinned, revealing his teeth. "That's right. But you have to leave these two Pokémon behind."

With that, they raised their capture nets.

"No, you can't!" Ragoku's face tensed, her teeth clenched as she backed away, protecting Teddiursa and Ditto.

"Teddi!"

"Ditto!"

"Don't blame us, then." The tall, thin man sneered and pressed the trigger.

Bang! Bang!

Two nets shot out.

Ragoku closed her eyes in terror.

The next second.

Zap—

A blue arc of lightning flashed, and the nets shattered instantly.

"What is this!"

The two men turned to see a golden figure that appeared suddenly, moving at incredible speed, and it was a Pokémon they had never seen before.

As seasoned Pokémon hunters, what Pokémon could they not recognize?

There was only one answer.

A rare Pokémon!

And a powerful one at that!

"Houndoom, use Bite!"

"Muk, use Toxic!"

The two men immediately threw their Poké Balls, summoning their Pokémon.

"Zeraora!"

Zeraora's eyes were sharp, and thunder crackled around its body. The sky seemed to darken, leaving only the bright blue lightning and its eyes, which glowed with electric energy.

All the lightning converged in Zeraora's hands, and with its incredible speed, it swung its fist.

Plasma Fist!

Bang!! Bang!!

With the explosion of lightning and a dull thud, Houndoom and Muk were sent flying.

Seeing this, the two Pokémon hunters' expressions changed, but they were quickly replaced with intense excitement.

"What incredible speed!"

"This Pokémon must be very valuable!"

"Zeraora!"

But as Zeraora landed, it seemed to touch a wound and hunched over in pain.

"Zeraora, your injury isn't healed yet!" Ragoku called out, filled with worry.

Unhealed injury?

The two Pokémon hunters exchanged glances and smiled.

"Perfect opportunity, Houndoom, use Flame Fang!"

"Muk, use Sludge Bomb!"

"Zeraora!"

Zeraora struggled to stand, its hands stretching out like a bow, using blue lightning to block Houndoom's attack but getting hit by Muk's Sludge Bomb.

Bang!!

"Zeraora!" Ragoku exclaimed in shock.

Gurgling—

Zeraora, staggering to its feet, showed signs of poisoning. It bared its teeth, trembling all over, and finally fell to the ground, unable to control itself.

"Ha!"

Seeing this, the two Pokémon hunters smiled triumphantly.

Ragoku immediately ran to Zeraora's side, spreading her arms to shield it from the hunters. "If you come any closer, I'll call someone to catch you! My dad knows a very powerful trainer!"

"A very powerful trainer?"

"How powerful? Hahaha—"

The two Pokémon hunters dismissed Ragoku's words and immediately pressed the triggers of their capture nets again.

Bang! Bang!

Two large nets shot out.

"Zeraora!!"

Zeraora gritted its teeth, trying to stand up despite the pain.

Suddenly.

Bang—

A figure descended from the sky like a cannonball, stomping on both nets and landing on the ground.

Rumble—

The entire ground shook.

"What is that?"

"Yuki!"

Desert Tyrant Pup Yuki descended, roaring at the two Pokémon hunters.

Do you want to taste my sky-falling palm technique?

"Yuki?"

The two men were stunned.

Then.

A figure appeared in front of Ragoku and Zeraora, wearing an Alolan floral shirt and shorts, flip-flops on his feet, and a cap on his head. He said calmly, "A trainer as powerful as me."

Continuing Ragoku's earlier words.

"Who are you?" The tall, thin Pokémon hunter frowned.

At the same time.

Another graceful figure landed beside Ragoku, helping her up and gently patting her head. "It's okay now."

"Me?"

Jinghe, Male was taken aback.

"It seems I'm not famous enough among Pokémon hunters."

He clicked his tongue.

"Gengue, Male."

"Gengue~"

Gengue, Male's voice suddenly came from behind the two Pokémon hunters, grabbing their shoulders with a sinister smile.

When did he get here?!

Gengue, Male?!

Bang— Bang—

The two men's eyes rolled back, and they fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Jinghe and Hiruna were on their way to Windy City when Gengue, who was flying with them, heard the sounds of a battle, leading to what just happened.

“Zeraora.”

Naturally, Jinghe also noticed Zeraora’s presence.

He didn’t expect things to turn out this way.

“Yoohoo~”

Yuki walked up to Zeraora and tilted her head.

Hey, bro, you’re kinda handsome.

Zeraora: “.”

Yuki offered a status recovery energy cube.

Hungry, huh? Have some energy cubes to recover.

“Zera.”

Zeraora shook his head, staggered to his feet, and looked toward Windy City, frowning.

At that moment, a thick purple mist was gradually spreading.

He had noticed this earlier, and with Ragoku in trouble, he had decided to show up.

“Eat it.”

Jinghe walked over and said.

“Zera?”

Seeing Jinghe approach, Zeraora’s brow furrowed, his expression wary and threatening, and he took a couple of steps back.

Zeraora had an instinctive aversion to humans, or more specifically, to humans other than Ragoku.

Jinghe wasn’t surprised. After all, Zeraora had survived the great mountain fire fifty years ago and had been hunted by Pokémon hunters. Such aversion was to be expected.

So, Jinghe didn’t move any closer, just radiating goodwill through his Waveguide and said,

“Do you want to help?”

“Zera.”

“If you want to help, you should eat more to recover your strength. That way, you can help more Pokémon.” Jinghe’s tone was calm.

“Yoohoo~”

Yuki gestured with the energy cube again.

“Zera.”

Zeraora’s mind was in turmoil, but in the end, he grabbed the energy cube from Yuki and stuffed it into his mouth.

As he ate, his chewing slowed, and his eyes widened, glowing slightly.

This taste...

Jinghe smiled.

Good choice.

“I have another box, and some healing spray. Want me to help you recover?”

“Zera!”

Zeraora’s fur bristled, like a cat on the defensive, clearly resistant to Jinghe’s approach. But...

The aroma of the energy cube filled his nose, and the thought of being able to help more Pokémon in the city made Zeraora suppress his instincts. He remained silent.

Seeing Jinghe approach with the healing spray, Zeraora made a visible effort not to back away.

When Jinghe’s hand touched his body, Zeraora shivered slightly, then closed his eyes.

So, so comfortable...

Why does it feel so good?

Warm and cozy...

Zeraora’s fur smoothed out, and he couldn’t help but show a contented expression.

Zeraora: (≧ω≦)

Aura Massage!

Meanwhile.

“Gengue~”

Gengue floated over to Jinghe, having obtained some information from the two Pokémon hunters.

Apparently, due to the recent crackdown on Pokémon hunters in the Castelia region, many had fled to the relatively isolated and unsearched Windy City.

Among them, a group had infiltrated Windy City, planning to target the Pokémon in the “Pokémon Capture Contest.”

They had obtained information about a “Spore Agent” from a strange researcher.

Although the agent wasn’t fully developed, they found it promising.

If everyone and every Pokémon in the city were paralyzed, they could capture as many as they wanted.

Their original plan was to release it after leaving Windy City, but something went wrong.

These two were invited to participate in the “event” but encountered Ragoku and Zeraora before entering the city, and were then intercepted by Jinghe.

After hearing Gengue’s brief account, Jinghe looked somewhat enlightened.

“So, I’m partly to blame for this?”

If he hadn’t been so active in capturing Pokémon hunters, these guys wouldn’t have fled to Windy City, and they wouldn’t have resorted to such desperate measures.

Tracing back to the root cause, he did bear some responsibility.

Of course.

Things couldn’t be blamed entirely on him.

After all, capturing Pokémon hunters was beneficial for the entire region.

Zeraora, who had also heard Gengue’s account, looked at Jinghe differently.

This human... doesn’t seem as “bad” as he thought?

Meanwhile, a thought flashed through Jinghe’s mind.

Snivy!

That little guy was also one of the Pokémon hunters’ targets, right?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end