Chapter 194: Divine Horse Dongxi

The screen went black.

Then it lit up again.

The rancher stood in place with his pitchfork, suddenly blowing a whistle—beep—

On the plain, numerous Pokémon turned their heads in unison; three of them stepped forward from the crowd and slowly approached.

Baimu stared closely and recognized them as Tauros, Rapidash, and Electabuzz—classic ranch-type Pokémon, likely the rancher's longtime partners.

【You learned from a neighbor who came with their child to apologize that your daughter had been mocked by classmates for days because you never participated in any contests. You spent the whole day thinking, discussed it at length with your wife, and came to the ranch to gather your old companions.】

【You decided to start from scratch and challenge Gyms and Contests.】

A pixelated figure stepped out of the house—she held a bag, looking worried, her thought bubble flickering intermittently: Honey…

The rancher put Tauros and the others into Poké Balls, comforted his wife, then turned toward his daughter hiding inside the house.

【You wanted to say goodbye to your daughter, but she, perhaps still angry with you, refused to come out.】

【You felt a pang of regret and set off for the nearby Celadon City with your old partners.】

The rancher drove away from home; the modern vehicle stirred a sense of nostalgia in Baimu—people with clear goals are truly different.

But the camera did not pull back.

Just as the car vanished into the distance, the rancher's daughter burst out of the house, crying and shouting something.

The rancher's car quickly reversed back.

Through narration, Baimu learned the daughter was apologizing to her father, urging him not to leave—that what people said at school didn't matter anymore.

But the rancher's mind was made up.

【You told your daughter this decision wasn't just so she could hold her head high among classmates, but also because you still had the energy to compete in the League Contest, and you wanted to fulfill your childhood dream while you still had time—telling her that dreams must be chased.】

【You bid farewell again to your wife and daughter, their faces filled with relief and tears, as you set off for Celadon City.】

The opening was a bit long.

But Baimu thought this simulation's background was overly complex.

Terry, driving, had been enthusiastically talking, but seeing Baimu intently "reading," he fell silent, then asked: "Mind if I play some music?"

"As long as it's not too loud, fine."

The car's stereo turned on.

To Baimu's surprise, Terry listened to calm, soothing music—not the rock or rap one would expect from a typical reckless driver.

Seeing Baimu's astonishment, Terry smiled: "Personal preference. Most people get sleepy listening to this while driving—I'm different. It keeps me alert."

That was indeed different.

Baimu gave her a thumbs-up and continued watching the simulation.

As a 37-year-old "veteran" entering the League Contest, the rancher deserved praise for his courage—but that age wasn't especially late.

Not to mention the anime—just in the games, there were plenty of Trainers older than him.

Of course, they'd been raising Pokémon since childhood, continuing into middle or old age; their battle experience was beyond the rancher's reach.

Yet the rancher wasn't without advantages—he was a breeder who, aside from classic ranch-type Pokémon, had raised hundreds, even thousands, of various Pokémon over the years.

The narration noted that thanks to his solid skills, every Pokémon he raised had strong physical foundations; he'd won multiple times in contests like Most Beautiful Blissey, Fastest Rapidash, and Strongest Tauros.

In other words, as long as the rancher gained more battle experience, he was still formidable.

At least entering Contests shouldn't be a problem.

After all, he had a Blue Talent—he shouldn't be unable to even enter a Contest.

In the scene.

The rancher arrived in Celadon City; with clear purpose, he didn't hesitate and immediately went to challenge Gym Leader Ami.

But they seemed well-acquainted, chatting warmly upon meeting.

Through narration, Baimu learned Ami's Celadon Milk had been sourced from the rancher's home for many years—they were a long-standing customer.

Upon hearing the rancher's plan, Ami offered him full support.

So.

The tense and thrilling Gym Challenge began in full force.

At the rancher's strong insistence, Ami brought out the strength she'd use against challengers seeking the eighth badge—and then…

There was no "then."

The rancher had clearly overestimated himself and his Pokémon; he was utterly dominated by Ami's team, unable to even utter his three-word battle cry.

【You regret how much your strength has declined—you once held seven badges, a powerful Trainer on the verge of the Contest.】

The narration told Baimu that the rancher had nearly earned his eighth badge in his youth, but due to family circumstances, he'd abandoned being a Trainer to inherit the ranch and become a breeder.

All these years later, his Gym challenge records were void; though his badges still existed, without official records, he had to re-challenge—but he still wanted to begin as a seven-badge Trainer.

He never expected Ami's strength far exceeded his estimate—she stunned him completely.

The middle-aged man's pride was shattered in an instant.

The rancher drove home dejectedly, pretending to his daughter that everything was fine, then revealed his weakness to his wife.

Tsk.

How come watching a simulation turns into eating dog food?

Baimu frowned in dissatisfaction, but thankfully, the simulator didn't linger long on such scenes—the focus remained firmly on the Gym Challenge.

The next day, the rancher returned to the Celadon Gym.

【Following Ami's advice, you lowered the Gym Challenge's intensity to beginner level. Though embarrassing, you knew you truly needed to start over.】

Returning to beginner level, the rancher now handled things with ease; his flagship Rapidash successfully used its type advantage to defeat Ami's Magnemite and Voltorb.

【You defeated Celadon Gym Leader Ami and earned the Steel Badge.】

After winning, the rancher was exhilarated—as if he'd rediscovered the passion of his youth, the joy of battle driving him straight to the ferry bound for the opposite shore, Blue City.

The Initial Evolution

What Baimu didn't expect was that the Blue Gym Leader, Asi, also seemed to know him well.

The nearby ranch uncle indicated he was quite skilled in Aikido and familiar with Asi from Aikido tournaments, and coincidentally, Asi was a trainer who loved sweets and couldn't get enough of MooMoo Milk.

The two gradually became acquainted through repeated interactions.

The middle-aged man's network was truly terrifying…

Baimu couldn't help but mutter a comment.

Upon hearing the ranch uncle's intention to revive his dream of competing in tournaments, Asi was deeply moved; he not only offered verbal support but also took action, forcibly demanding that the ranch uncle undergo special training with him.

The ranch uncle thought it over and decided that regaining his former strength wasn't a bad idea, so he agreed.

The two middle-aged men began their training.

This included the most classic moves—single-arm push-ups while bearing a massive boulder, and standing beneath a waterfall to temper the spirit—Flareon clearly couldn't endure such training, so it usually just watched from the side.

The talent 【Physical Strength】 gradually revealed itself—

Who could possibly withstand such intense training? Yet the ranch uncle felt no fatigue; instead, he found it deeply fulfilling.

As if to prove his words.

The simulator kept flashing terrifying images of the ranch uncle shouldering a giant round log and carrying numerous sealed milk buckets, each weighing at least fifty catties.

There were even images of him wrestling a rampaging Tauros—first stopping it, then flipping it over with a powerful throw.

Mommy!

What the hell is this?