Chapter 691: Appleworm and the Exaggerated Fat Squirrel

Chapter 691: Appleworm and the Exaggerated Fat Squirrel (Two in One, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

Outside the Decision Ruins.

To be more precise, outside the ruins of the Decision Ruins.

Dratini, covered in injuries, sat cheerfully on a rock, allowing Jinghe to carefully treat him. He lifted his hand and lowered his head as instructed.

In the past few days, everyone had been testing the results of their previous training and hard work.

Forger, Thicklipuku, Crimson Blade Phantom, and Blastoise had given the Blizzard Horse a thorough beating.

Gengue had taken on the Spectra and even managed to ride it.

Only Dratini, Snivy, and Nine-Tails hadn't joined in the action.

Nine-Tails hadn't participated, partly because there wasn't a suitable opponent, and partly because she was one of Jinghe's Pokémon who was the least inclined to fight.

Moreover, in the Crown Tundra, Nine-Tails received significant environmental buffs, making her much stronger than usual.

As for Snivy, it was simply not yet ready to face Mythical Beasts.

And there was Dratini. After a fierce battle with Regidrago, although the fight was grueling and Dratini was badly injured, he had managed to test the results of his training. This gave him a clearer direction and goal for the future.

At the same time, he was quite satisfied with his current strength.

Thinking about this, Dratini couldn't help but flap his little wings.

"Uu~ (´`)"

Then he winced in pain.

Jinghe, annoyed, said, "Don't move around so much, rest properly!"

If it weren't for Dratini's love for one-on-one battles with Dragon-type Pokémon, Regidrago would have been taken down by the other Pokémon long ago.

But it was for the best. Dratini wanted to test his strength, and Jinghe had his own reasons.

The best part was that they had shattered the "Decision Ruins" prison.

After treating Dratini's injuries, Jinghe fed him some Energy Cubes and food. Gengue then made a cup of Vitality Root Tea for Dratini.

"Uu!!"

Dratini's face contorted in a grimace after drinking the Vitality Root Tea under Gengue's mischievous smile.

So bitter!

Meanwhile, Jinghe threw out Regieleki's Poké Ball.

Red light flashed.

The small Electric God Pillar appeared in front of him.

Upon seeing the ruins of the Decision Ruins, the signal lights on Regieleki flickered hesitantly.

?

Is my "home" gone?

However, Regieleki, who had been in a state of hesitation, seemed to snap out of it.

It was as if one of the two threads in its mind had been severed, allowing it to focus on a single task again.

"Regieleki", Jinghe called from behind.

"Regi?"

Regieleki slowly turned around to see a familiar, gentle, and sunny face with a warm smile.

Jinghe extended his hand and softly asked, "Would you like to come with us from now on?"

Regieleki looked up, noticing the expectant eyes, the trusting smiles, and the welcoming gazes.

It felt a tingling sensation in its body.

Strangely enough.

As a Pokémon made entirely of electric crystals, it couldn't be electrocuted and had never experienced this feeling before.

It was a completely new sensation.

But it enjoyed it.

"Regieleki!"

Jinghe could clearly feel that Regieleki had a sense of relief.

After all, its "home" was gone.

Moreover, it had been hesitating between its "duty" and the happiness of being with Jinghe and the others.

Regieleki nodded firmly and grabbed Jinghe's hand.

Its expression was determined and serious.

This was a new "mission" — protecting Jinghe!

Jinghe felt a slight relief in his heart.

He had almost let this opportunity slip away.

Sometimes, being a bit selfish isn't such a bad thing.

"And this one."

After calming Regieleki, Jinghe still had a heavy Poké Ball in his hand, containing Regidrago.

After a moment of thought, he opened the heavy Poké Ball and released Regidrago.

"Regi."

Regidrago had returned to its two-meter size, and its condition was not good. Although it had regained consciousness, it was in worse shape than Dratini.

It looked at the ruins with a clear, confused expression.

Jinghe was also a bit troubled about how to handle Regidrago.

Although he hadn't destroyed the Decision Ruins, he had certainly had the intention to do so and hadn't stopped Regidrago.

"Regieleki—"

At that moment, Regieleki stepped forward, waving its arms and flashing its signal lights.

"You want to handle it?"

Faced with Regieleki's request, Jinghe couldn't help but be a bit skeptical.

Could a single-minded Regieleki really comfort Regidrago?

But considering that perhaps a straightforward approach would be more effective between two single-minded beings, he nodded after a moment's thought.

He took out a box of Energy Cubes.

"Comfort it properly."

Patting Regieleki's shoulder, he walked over to Daiya and Gengue, who were searching through the ruins.

"There's no way. According to Big Sister's experience, any ruin, no matter how small, will have something valuable."

Daiya muttered to himself as he rummaged through the debris.

He was the most thorough in his search.

Compared to Jing He, who occasionally had some savings, Daiya was as poor as a church mouse, with barely a few coins in his pocket.

A Four Heavenly Kings member as poor as Daiya was a rare sight.

This was why many top trainers had side jobs.

Without a solid financial background or income, even a Four Heavenly Kings member would find it difficult to continue training Pokémon with increasingly higher demands.

The second most diligent searcher was Blastoise.

"Bark."

While rummaging, Blastoise picked up a rock and casually bit into it before swallowing.

Blastoise was no longer the Yuki who could be fooled by any old rock. By eating, it was analyzing whether the rocks contained any nutritional elements and whether it was worth digging deeper.

Finding mineral-rich stones would be ideal, but even if it didn't, it would at least satisfy its appetite a bit.

"Find anything good?" Jing He casually flipped a rock and asked.

"Bark."

Blastoise shook its head.

Forger, on the other hand, was wielding a hammer and scanning the ruins like a metal detector, finding a few rocks with decent metallic elements.

When it came to treasure hunting, the Jing family was quite professional.

"No worries, if we can't find anything, it's fine."

Jing He knew that a ruin like this, resembling a "Prison", was unlikely to have anything valuable.

Of course, he still had to search, even if just for the sake of it.

Was he any richer than Daiya?

Even a little was better than nothing.

After searching for a while,

"Regi—"

A deep voice suddenly sounded behind Jing He.

Turning around, he saw the Electric Pillar, Regieleki, and the Dragon Pillar, Regidrago.

Jing He smiled slightly.

It seemed Regieleki had "calmed" Regidrago down?

But where did it want to go next?

Regidrago staggered past Jing He and wobbled over to a seemingly unremarkable section of the ruins, pointing at it.

Huh?

Jing He was taken aback but quickly understood.

"You mean there's something valuable down there?"

Could he have been wrong, and this wasn't just a "Prison" but also guarding something?

"Drago."

Regidrago nodded, its red head and signal lights flashing more rapidly.

"Blastoise."

Jing He had no doubts and immediately called out to Blastoise, who was still rummaging through debris.

"Bark!"

Blastoise understood and ran over eagerly. With dust and fragments flying, the large Blastoise quickly disappeared into the ruins.

A short while later,

A basketball-sized blue-purple crystal, covered in dust, was tossed up among the debris.

This is—

Jing He stepped forward and picked up the crystal. Nearby, Dratini flew over.

"Whoo~!"

"Dragon Crystal?" Jing He said, somewhat surprised.

"Whoo~ Whoo~!"

Dratini's reaction confirmed Jing He's guess.

The "Dragon Crystal" was the material Regigigas used to create Regidrago, a highly concentrated form of dragon energy that took thousands of years to form.

"Based on the position and the layout of the previous ruins—"

Jing He looked at Regidrago, "Did you create this?"

"Drago."

Regidrago nodded.

It had been sealed here for thousands of years. Although it was asleep, the dragon energy it emitted over those millennia had naturally condensed into several "Dragon Crystals" of this size.

After all, in terms of the intensity and concentration of dragon energy, how many dragon Pokémon in the entire Pokémon world could match Regidrago?

This Pokémon was created by the pure "Dragon Crystal" and Regigigas's creative power.

However, even after thousands of years, the "Dragon Crystals" Regidrago had condensed were insignificant compared to its massive body, let alone enough to create its complete form.

But for Regidrago, these "Dragon Crystals" held little allure, while for other dragon Pokémon, the attraction was clear from Dratini's eyes.

Shortly after,

Blastoise dug up another "Dragon Crystal" of the same size and a smaller one, about the size of a fist.

"Bark~"

Blastoise crawled out, brushing the dust off its body.

Unfortunately, they were all "Dragon Crystals." Blastoise was a bit disappointed; it would have preferred something like "Earth Crystals."

Daiya felt the same way.

"Dragon Crystals", though valuable to dragon Pokémon, were of little use to him, a fire user.

However, as he gave up on further searching, Daiya made a discovery.

"Teacher Jing He! Some 'apples' are coming over!"

Following the sound, Jinghe and Daiya saw three Appleworms slowly and cautiously approaching, hiding inside apples. The moment they sensed the gaze of Jinghe and Daiya, they immediately retreated, pretending to be just apples.

Jinghe couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

This disguise might fool Daiya, but even the slow and careful approach would not deceive him.

After a moment's thought, he understood. The "Dragon Crystal" had attracted these Grass and Dragon-type Pokémon, the Appleworms, and even many wild Dragon-type Pokémon from the Forked Plains. However, the other Dragon-type Pokémon were generally more powerful and wary of the existence that could destroy the Decision Ruins, so they dared not approach. Or perhaps they had approached but retreated after sensing the overwhelming ancient power of Regidrago and Regieleki.

Only these three innocent and weak Appleworms, driven by instinct, continued to inch closer to the "Dragon Crystal." Jinghe guessed that their levels probably hadn't exceeded ten.

Watching the little creatures, Jinghe shook his head with a smile. He hadn't intended to interfere, but then an idea struck him.

"Maybe I can ‘take’ these little guys", Jinghe murmured.

Appleworms, being Grass and Dragon-type Pokémon, are among the few in the Pokémon world with three evolution branches. And this is just what is currently known. The last Pokémon with three evolution branches was Eevee from the first generation. Later, more evolution branches were discovered for Eevee, such as Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, and others.

Before Jinghe arrived in the Pokémon world, there were rumors of a "Dragon Eevee" about to appear, though the truth of this was uncertain.

Most other Pokémon generally have only two evolution branches, like Froakie, Cherrim, and Snom.

Appleworms themselves are not particularly strong in combat, but Jinghe found their "Overgrow" ability quite promising. If raised on his island, they could likely boost productivity significantly. With the help of Regigigas's Aura, an island filled to the brim was a foreseeable outcome.

Apart from their "Overgrow" ability, their evolved forms are also quite useful. The three evolved forms of Appleworms are:

1. Acidragon – Evolves using an Acid Apple. This Pokémon is known for its strong acid, capable of corroding even metal.

2. Honeydragon – Evolves using a Sweet Apple. It produces a sweet, honey-like substance that can be used to attract wild Pokémon or as a sweet sauce for food.

3. Honeymite – Evolves using a Honey Apple. It produces honey that, when solidified, has strong defensive properties.

Additionally, Honeymite can evolve into Honeyserpent after learning the move Dragon Cheer.

Evolving from a "worm" to a "serpent" is a significant step. Acidragon, for example, is a Pokémon known for its strong acid, which can corrode metal. If the acid's strength can be controlled, it can serve as a good seasoning—apple acid sauce!

Honeydragon, similar to Acidragon, produces a sweet, honey-like substance that can be used to attract wild Pokémon or as a sweet sauce to enhance food flavor. The skin on its back, formed by the accumulation of sweet honey, is a favorite among children and Pokémon. With a bit of processing, it can become a delicious treat.

Honeymite, on the other hand, produces honey that rivals the sweetness of Honeydragon's. When solidified, it has strong defensive properties.

More importantly, both Honeymite and Honeyserpent, which look like single individuals, actually contain multiple sub-individuals. Honeymite has two snake-like sub-individuals inside its apple, while Honeyserpent has a staggering seven!

When Honeyserpent is angry or in battle, five heads emerge from the apple, resembling the legendary "Eight-Headed Serpent", though it is three heads short.

While these sub-individuals have their own wills, often making Honeyserpent's movements seem erratic, when they work together, they can unleash tremendous power. For example, Honeyserpent's exclusive move "Random Light" is a Dragon-type move with a base power of 80, which is already quite formidable. According to the Pokédex, there is a 30% chance that the move's power will double to a terrifying 160!

This 30% probability occurs when the main snake initiates the attack, and the other sub-individuals assist.

A Pokémon like this, which relies on "burst" attacks, would definitely delight him.

The only drawback is that they can't fly.

Cough.

Jinghe refocused his thoughts. Whether it's Honeyserpent or Honeymite, the more sub-individuals, the faster the reproduction rate. Each sub-individual is a separate entity, not a shared body.

Owning a Honeyserpent would mean having a large population of Appleworms. With so many advantages and being Grass-type Pokémon that primarily eat apples—a low-consumption food—Jinghe would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted.

So, after a brief moment of consideration, Jinghe said:

"Nine-Tails, freeze them. Gengue, pack them up. We're taking them home."

"Awoo~"

Nine-Tails, unsure of what Jinghe was doing, obediently complied. She exhaled a cold breath, and in an instant, the three Appleworms, disguised as apples, were frozen into ice sculptures. With Nine-Tails' current control over ice, freezing them without harm was easy. They could be thawed, given something to eat, and they would recover.

"Geng~"

Gengue, riding on Spectra, waved his hand and tossed the three frozen Appleworms into the shadow.

"Eh?"

Daiya looked puzzled. "Teacher Jing He, why are you holding three apples? Are you planning to make an apple pie?"

"With your intellect, it's hard to explain everything at once", Jing He said casually.

Daiya: "."

He glanced at Flareon, his eyes full of questions—does Teacher Jing He look down on me?

Flareon patted his head, turning his gaze away.

Don't look at me; I don't want to say more.

"Keep looking, see if there are any more Appleworms", Jing He called out.

These weak Dragon-type Pokémon, in the Dragon-heavy Forked Plains, are destined to be the weakest and lowest creatures. Without protection, they might end up being eaten like real apples.

Pokémon like Zubat and Noivern often mistake Appleworms for apples.

Taking them away is actually a form of indirect protection.

Once back on the island, if they really don't want to stay, they can always be returned.

Following Jing He's lead, everyone searched for a while. With the help of the Dragon Crystal, they quickly found three more clueless Appleworms, which they packed up and took with them.

The six Appleworms were all below level 15, with the lowest being around levels 7 to 8.

It's unclear how many of them have the "Ripen" ability.

Initially, Jing He had thought about finding some Berry saplings to transplant back to the island, saving himself some effort.

But later, he realized that either the trees were fully grown or the saplings were already growing well without his intervention, and there weren't many of them, so he decided against it.

After all, many Dragon-type Pokémon live here, and these are one of their important food sources.

"Regi—"

"Regi—"

When they finished, Regieleki and Regidrago had also "chatted" enough.

Jing He didn't know what they talked about, but in the end,

Regidrago and Regieleki started quietly following him, like guardian deities on either side.

It seemed that under Regieleki's "persuasion", the "protect Jing He" command was input into Regidrago's "programming."

In reality,

the calmed-down Regidrago sensed the presence of their "creator", Regigigas, in Jing He, and regarded him as Regigigas' messenger.

Learning this, Jing He thought,

"Maybe Regigigas can help me with my 'problems.'"

First, he would try the League, and if that didn't work, he would seek help from Regigigas. Jing He had a plan.

After that,

they quickly tidied up the ruins, ensuring nothing was left behind and no wild Pokémon were affected by the collapse. Then, Jing He and Daiya left.

They crossed the "Giant's Sole" and flew over the "Rock Mountain Ruins", where Regirock might be resting.

With Regieleki and Regidrago as his "bottomless pits", Jing He had no intention of collecting the five God Pillars, which would be a massive undertaking.

When playing games, Jing He had a typical "completionist" streak.

For any new Pokémon game, he had to collect all the Pokémon in the Pokédex.

Not only that, but all of them had to be shiny, and he spent countless hours hatching eggs to achieve this.

But the real Pokémon world gave him a harsh reality check, followed by a couple of kicks.

Complete Pokédex?

Nonexistent.

Let alone the resource-intensive God Pillars.

So, even though Blastoise kept insisting on digging, Jing He firmly said no.

By around two in the afternoon, Jing He and Daiya arrived at the southernmost part of the Galar region, the relatively mild climate area of the Crown Tundra—Ball Lake Plain.

This is the best habitat and food source for the majority of Pokémon in the Crown Tundra.

From a distance, they could see the giant tree on the hill in the middle of Ball Lake!

It was at least twenty meters tall, with lush red leaves covering the entire tree, making it look like a giant ball.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a beautiful sight.

According to the Crown Tundra's lore, this red giant tree has existed for an incredibly long time, so long that even it can't calculate its age.

This tree nurtures countless Pokémon in the plains, hills, and mountains, making it one of the most iconic plants in the region.

From a distance, they could see many wild Pokémon active and playing nearby.

Celestial birds, like clouds, flew by with a few Comfey.

Flocks of Wooloo and Dubwool grazed in the grass.

Cottonweed and Wimpod danced in the wind, their bodies fluffy like willow catkins.

Sandygast cautiously climbed the thick branches, keeping a wary eye on its surroundings.

In the surrounding Ball Lake, a Bibarel slowly climbed the hill, finding a sunny spot to rest.

Occasionally, a couple of Lunatone would mistake a Shelgon for food, only to be slapped away and continue flying as if nothing happened.

This vibrant scene made Jing He take a deep breath.

Isn't this exactly what he hopes his island will look like in the future?

"Such a great place", Jing He sighed.

Due to the continuous and extremely cold snowfields of the Crown Tundra, few humans come here. The natural environment remains undisturbed, allowing the wild Pokémon to live in peace.

"Branches from the World Tree won't grow on the island, but I wonder if a branch from this tree could survive if I take it back", Jing He thought.

Gengue, Male's eyes were already gleaming with excitement.

Such a vast area, with so many abundant resources and wild Pokémon waiting for the great Gengue, Male to lead; he couldn't help but rub his hands together in anticipation, eager for night to fall.

Thicklipuku couldn't help but clasp his hands together, bow slightly, and murmur his gratitude for the gifts of nature that were about to come.

"Teacher Jing He, look!"

Daiya suddenly tugged at his clothes, pointing to a faint figure on the Giant Tree.

"Moltres", Jing He said without surprise. He had noticed it too.

The Crown Tundra's Legendary Birds were known to return to the Crown Tundra every few decades during their migrations, and their resting place was this very Giant Tree on the Ball Lake Plain.

"No, look at the opposite side of Moltres!"

On the opposite side of Moltres, on the branches of the Giant Tree, stood a group of Fat Squirrels and Greedy Squirrels.

As everyone knew, Fat Squirrels and Greedy Squirrels were very common Pokémon in the Galar region, almost equivalent to Rattata and Raticate in the Kanto region.

Of course, the Fat Squirrels and Greedy Squirrels were much more attractive in appearance compared to Rattata and Raticate.

And these supposedly "weak" Fat Squirrels and Greedy Squirrels were not the least bit afraid of Moltres, a Mythical Pokémon!

In fact, they were more than just unafraid.

Moltres was circling around the tree, looking somewhat wary and finding it difficult to get closer.

Wow.

Both Jing He and Daiya couldn't help but exclaim in their minds.

This was a true confrontation between ordinary Pokémon and a Mythical Pokémon!

Even though Moltres didn't have a "divine role" and thus couldn't command the power of nature, it was still a Mythical Pokémon.

Jing He and Daiya could also see that the Fat Squirrels and Greedy Squirrels, particularly the Fat Squirrels, were likely of high average levels.

Most importantly, the leader of the Fat Squirrels, with its bright, sharp incisors and fierce expression, was a significant reason for Moltres's wariness.

"Gengue~"

Eyes wide open!

Gengue, Male chuckled, glancing at Daiya with a meaningful look.

While the group of Fat Squirrels made Moltres hesitant to approach, someone else had been caught by Moltres.

However, Daiya clearly didn't understand the "depth" of Gengue, Male's gaze, making Gengue, Male feel a bit bored.

But Jing He noticed something.

"Although the Fat Squirrels are strong, they probably wouldn't be a match for Moltres. The real reason Moltres is hesitant is likely due to this tree."

He said, and Daiya looked over.

"The tree itself, I think."

A fight might be simple, but the noise and destruction caused by the battle would inevitably affect this tree.

Moltres, despite its fierce nature, seemed to have some affection for the tree and was unwilling to cause it any harm.

According to the World Tree, the Legendary Birds of the Galar region returned periodically, and this tree might have been the place where they were once born.

Or perhaps

This tree is the manifestation of the will of the plain, or even the region?

Of course.

The strength of the leader Fat Squirrel was also a crucial factor; otherwise, Moltres wouldn't be concerned about damaging the tree.

Listening to Jing He, Daiya's expression turned enlightened.

"Still, it's rare for a wild Fat Squirrel to grow so powerful that even Moltres is wary of it", Daiya said.

Jing He agreed, nodding.

"I think this group of Fat Squirrels and Greedy Squirrels has been living here for a long time, and the abundant resources have made them strong."

He emphasized the words "abundant resources."

Clearly, the "abundant resources" he referred to were the fruits of this tree.

If this tree truly represented the will of the land, its fruits would likely be the essence of the region.

It's just unknown what kind of tree it is, to be so miraculous.

This made him marvel at the beauty and wonder of nature.

Even in the Pokémon world, nature was full of mystery, let alone in a world with its own magical elements and unique abilities.

He remembered in the game "Pokémon Sword/Shield" Dlc "Crown Tundra", there was a Fat Squirrel on this tree with a level as high as eighty, capable of Dynamax.

A level eighty-plus was the level of the main Pokémon in the Red team's lineup.

Of course, in the real Pokémon world, level didn't completely represent strength.

After circling the tree for a while and finding no way to deal with the Fat Squirrels, Moltres let out a long cry and then, from somewhere, produced a few rare and high-quality berries.

It offered them.

Seeing this, the leader Fat Squirrel immediately put away its fierce expression, smiled, and waved at Moltres as if being polite.

Then, it quickly hid the precious berries in its tail.

Moltres rolled its eyes in annoyance but didn't react further.

In doing so, it gained the right to rest in the dense canopy of the tree.

This scene made Jing He's face twitch, as if he saw a Fat Squirrel version of Gengue, Male.

Daiya, standing beside him, opened his mouth wide, moved it a bit, and finally managed to say:

"Ah, ah?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end