Chapter 365: Returning to One

In the forest.

"Just leave me here—I'll find my way back on my own tonight… maybe I won't even come back, so no need to pick me up."

Baimu slid off Lei Gong's back and set Daizuiwa on the ground, saying casually.

Lei Gong: "…"

I never said I was coming to pick you up.

It had no desire to engage, lest this fool seize the opportunity to make some unreasonable demand—already regretted letting him ride on its back this morning.

After all, it had never let anyone ride its back before.

Never expected to break that rule on a human brat it had known for less than a week.

"Roar!"

Lei Gong let out a low growl, its massive body leaping with surprising agility, covering meters in a single bound, then vanishing into the forest with a series of rapid jumps.

"This guy… isn't his true form a kangaroo instead of a tiger?"

Baimu didn't understand why it chose this leap-based running style.

Daizuiwa stared at the completely unfamiliar surroundings, tugging at his pant leg, "Kishido?"

"About three more kilometers ahead."

Baimu pointed westward; from his current viewpoint, he could faintly make out the blurred outlines of human structures.

According to Champion Dawu, the majority of Meteor Village's residents were still the elderly and young children—there were some able-bodied adults, but not many… Would bringing a Fairy-type Pokémon here be seen as a provocation?

But today it was Daizuiwa's turn—what could he do?

No big problem.

Unless the people of Meteor Village were all unreasonable fools, the chance of them hostility toward him was slim—worst case, he'd just release Dreepy.

Baimu approached Meteor Village with a calm, peaceful mindset.

And then—

"Halt! Who goes there!"

A short figure wearing an abstract dragon-head mask suddenly leapt down from a large tree, assuming a strangely awkward combat stance.

Behind him came a small blue dinosaur with a head like a slick silver pompadour.

"Tatsi!"

Bibarel shouted at Daizuiwa, who stood beside Baimu's feet.

Daizuiwa frowned slightly, choosing not to bother with this little dragon whose brain seemed as addled as Dreepy's.

But then it couldn't help wondering—were all Dragon-type Pokémon like this?

Were they?

Weren't they?

Beside them, Baimu looked at the oddly dressed masked figure and replied:

"If you must put it that way—I've come home to claim my roots."

"Homecoming—huh? Claiming your roots?"

The masked figure froze in place, then ripped off the dragon mask, revealing a face full of deep wrinkles—an elderly man.

"Huh?"

Baimu also froze.

He'd assumed such a short stature meant a kid—turns out it was a septuagenarian.

"You're that Baimu, right?"

The elder seemed to know his name; he stepped forward quickly, studying Baimu's face closely, his slightly cloudy eyes filled with disbelief.

"Yes."

Baimu gave a slight nod and added, "I'm currently traveling through Akiba Town, had some matters come up, so I came to take a look—sorry for the disturbance."

"Not a disturbance! Not at all! How could returning home be a disturbance?"

The elder, as if confirming something, beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum, his expression utterly kind: "Good child, you've traveled far—come quickly! Into the village! I'll take you to the elders!"

He grabbed Baimu's hand and marched ahead toward Meteor Village.

"Uh… thank you…"

Baimu was forced to walk, glancing sideways at Daizuiwa—he felt this old man was a bit too enthusiastic.

Are all the people of Meteor Village this united?

Of course, having someone guide you is better than wandering in blindly.

Through the dense forest.

A wide, open basin came into view; in the far distance, the rock cliffs housing the Meteor Falls could be seen—but right before them stood a quiet village.

Japanese-style wooden houses were scattered neatly across the landscape; statues of Rayquaza, sized to match their bodies and etched with scales and balance patterns, appeared everywhere.

Flocks of Swablu and Altaria flew overhead, chirping carefree songs; occasionally, a Wurmple or a Dustox could be seen, though rarely.

On the ground.

Bare patches of sand were riddled with holes of all sizes—undoubtedly ant nests made by Forretress, waiting for some fool to fall in—

Though such fools were unlikely to exist, it was simply their natural instinct.

On the grass, numerous Bibarel and Shieldon played together; sometimes they looked up at the Swablu and Altaria in the sky, their expressions filled with longing.

"Where are all the Dragonites…?"

Baimu found this odd.

The guiding elder turned and answered his question: "Dragonites? Most have been taken out by their trainers. Meteor Village has a custom: young Dragon-type Pokémon are entrusted to someone to raise—if they're raised well or evolve into their final form, they're allowed to embark on a journey."

"The rest went deep into the Meteor Falls—that's their homeland, where they gather daily and quietly breed. They usually only return at night."

The old man pointed toward the direction of the Meteor Falls.

"So that's how it is."

Baimu nodded in understanding, realizing that the pattern of Meteor Village was much like that of the Dragon Homeland—both received tasks to raise Dragon Pokémon.

But Meteor Village set higher standards; the Dragon Homeland imposed no requirements on those who traveled outside.

On the other side.

As the two strode boldly into the village, they immediately drew the gaze of many Meteor Villagers.

They were, as Dawu had said, generally older in age; even the youngest looked to be in their forties or fifties, both men and women, dressed in garments of strikingly unique design.

One could no longer hold back and called out: "Old Qingliu! Who is this young man you've brought?"

"Him? He's the one you've all been talking about!"

The elder named Qingliu snorted, his temper prickly, refusing to answer properly.

But the Meteor Villagers seemed accustomed to this; some guessed who Baimu was, while others turned their gazes to him, hoping he would introduce himself.

"Excuse the intrusion. My name is Baimu."

The Meteor Villagers, finally getting a response, erupted in murmurs.

"That's the boy who was lost out there!"

"First time in a hundred years!"

"I heard he went to develop in the Ore Region? Honestly, I've never even heard of that place before…"

"Go notify the Elder immediately—"

Seeing these half-century-old villagers rushing about one after another, Old Qingliu grew furious. He turned to Baimu and said: "Come! Ignore them! Let's go straight to the Dragon Shrine to find the Elder!"

The Dragon Shrine, the ancestral hall of dragons, was akin to the clan ancestral halls of his past life—a place of great importance to the Meteor Villagers.

Outsiders were certainly not permitted to enter.

Baimu felt a twinge of unease at being taken there—what if, despite his confident claims of being a Meteor Villager, they used some method to verify he wasn't one, and then turned against him?

Then he'd be the ultimate fool.

But Old Qingliu, seeing his anxious expression, mistook it for the nervousness of returning home. He smiled warmly, patting Baimu's hand. "Relax. The Elder is very approachable. Everyone welcomes your return. This is your homeland! The resting place of your ancestors!"

"Ah… uh… hmm…"

Baimu nodded.

Behind him, Gyarados slowly followed, its gaze sweeping over the surrounding Dragon-type Pokémon, confirming one thing—

These guys really do seem to have dim wits.

Are normal Dragons supposed to just keep bumping into each other like this?

If it were training, fine—but they don't even channel any elemental energy. They bump once, then stop. What kind of training is this?

And then there's this one.

Gyarados quietly glanced at the Shelgon trotting after it; the latter had already made faces at Gyarados's gaping jaws more than once. If anyone had the dullest brain, it was surely this one.

Even Dragonite wouldn't act like this!

Gyarados suddenly realized how precious Dragonite truly was… Should it have been less critical of it before?

It silently began to reflect.

Not long after.

Under Old Qingliu's guidance, Baimu arrived at the Dragon Shrine—an ancient yet majestic structure, standing quietly like a temple, stirring in him an inexplicable sense of reverence.

Baimu himself didn't understand why—he simply felt he must remain respectful here.

"Ha! You've felt the Dragon's aura too! You're already a true Meteor Villager!" Old Qingliu's excited voice rang out.

But before he could reply, another voice—equally aged but carrying an air of authority—spoke.

"You show no composure in front of the young. Qingliu, if you complain that the children don't respect you, you've only yourself to blame!"

Baimu and Qingliu turned their heads and saw an elderly woman with white hair tied up with bands, clad in a fully enclosed cloak, her neck adorned with petal-like patterns.

Of average height, she radiated solemnity, appearing deeply revered.

"Hmph! I'll do as I please!"

Old Qingliu muttered dismissively, bowing his head slightly in respect, then added proudly: "Elder, look who I've brought!"

"I know."

The Dragon Elder replied casually, her gaze softening into profound kindness as she looked at Baimu, who had bowed slightly in greeting. "Child, come closer. Let me look at you."

Baimu stepped forward slowly. The Dragon Elder extended a pale hand from beneath her cloak and gently touched his face, smiling: "How nostalgic… You look exactly like your uncle. As if carved from the same mold."

"Uncle…?"

"Yes. Long He—your ancestor—was once the brightest young Dragon Tamer of Meteor Falls. He left Meteor Falls when I was still a child and never returned. I never imagined he went to the Ore Region…"

Here, the Dragon Elder grew melancholy.

After all, Long He, the one she spoke of, had perished far from home, his body never recovered; his descendants had fallen into obscurity, nearly losing their lineage entirely.

"It's good you've returned. That's all that matters."

The Dragon Elder lightly patted Baimu's shoulder, her tone filled with relief. "Though I don't know whether Long He was your Ceng Zufu or your grandfather."

"…"

Baimu nodded silently.

At this moment, he felt immense relief—thankfully, none of those clichéd dramas had occurred. The Meteor Villagers were still reliable; they had truly brought forth his ancestor.

But—

"Elder, I have something important to report," Baimu remembered his true purpose. Seeing her attentive expression, he told her of Team Rocket's possible search for Super Stone mines near Meteor Falls.

The Elder listened, then fell into thought. After a moment, she turned aside and said: "Since everyone has gathered, let's discuss this together."

Baimu glanced around and realized that, without his noticing, the area around the Dragon Shrine was now packed with crowds of Meteor Villagers and Dragon Pokémon—all had come to gawk like at a market fair.

Even the blue cotton birds in the sky perched along the eaves, peering down curiously.

Baimu: "..."

So even the Dragon Folk love gossip?

——

Inside a spacious room with three open sides, tatami mats laid out.

Baimu sat at the very back, cradling the equally bewildered Jigglypuff; both man and Pokémon stared around like country folk just arrived in town, watching the bustling crowd of people and Pokémon.

Since arriving, he had been greeting different people—every single Meteor Folk, young or old, introduced themselves upon entering.

Only now did he finally get a moment to catch his breath.

The Dragon Elder had vanished since announcing the meeting, nowhere to be seen.

Old Qingliu sat with a group of elderly men who looked especially familiar.

Judging from the current situation...

Wasn't this supposed to be a meeting?

Why does it feel like a banquet?

Fine, the rice crackers, sunflower seeds, and seaweed—fine. But why bring a bottle of wine?

Drink up! Drink up!

Baimu and Jigglypuff widened their eyes slightly.

In his confusion, a soft laugh suddenly sounded beside him: "Don't be surprised—everyone has always been like this."

He turned his head and saw a young man with dark red hair standing beside him.

"Let me introduce myself—I'm Zhenya. Congratulations on returning home."

Zhenya extended his hand.

Baimu shook it. "Baimu. Nice to meet you."

"Hello. Your name has been ringing in our ears these past days. The uncles and aunts in the Oure region have been thinking of you constantly—every time they returned, they mentioned you."

Zhenya smiled warmly. "We've all been waiting for you to escape your suffering and come home."

"Thank you, but Oure is no longer a sea of suffering—it's an untouched golden virgin land," Baimu softly corrected the phrase.

"Ah, sorry."

Seeing how serious he was, Zhenya realized his mistake, quickly apologized, then changed the subject: "After the meeting, would you like to meet the other young Dragon Tamers? Everyone wants to get to know you."

Baimu nodded. "Of course. I'll rely on you to introduce me."

"Great!"

Zhenya walked off, beaming.

"Kee-doh?"

Jigglypuff, who had remained silent until now, lifted its head slightly.

"Yeah, I never thought I'd be so famous in Meteor Village," Baimu mused, his peripheral vision catching the Dragon Elder approaching with a scroll.

When he turned back to the Meteor Folk, he noticed they had already cleared away tables and snacks and lined up neatly in four rows.

... WTF?

Baimu mentally groaned. As the Dragon Elder approached with the scroll, he started to rise to meet him—but the Elder stopped him with a voice.

"No need, child. Stay seated."

The Dragon Elder spoke gently, walked to his side, placed the scroll on the floor, then slowly unrolled it outward.

Instantly,

the long scroll stretched from the front of the room all the way to the back.

The Dragon Elder took a brush from someone nearby and explained to Baimu: "Every time a new member is born among the Meteor Folk, their name is written on this scroll. You are no exception."

A clan-ancestry ceremony?

Baimu stared at the scroll's script—initially incomprehensible—but when he blinked, memories of the calligrapher flooded his mind; among the ancient languages she had studied, this one was unmistakably there!

So this was the Meteor Folk's language!

The Dragon Elder wrote Baimu's name in Meteor Folk script, then said: "Extend your hand."

Baimu extended his hand.

The Dragon Elder asked kindly: "Are you afraid of pain?"

"Not really—ah!"

A sharp pain shot through his fingertip. He looked down to see the Dragon Elder had silently pierced his index finger with a needle—the question had clearly been a distraction.

"Child, place your handprint here."

The Dragon Elder pointed beneath the name.

Baimu lifted his right hand and looked forward—easily noticing that beneath every name on the scroll was a red fingerprint—he had initially thought it was paint.

It turned out to be blood.

But how could blood stay this bright red for so long?

He was puzzled, but still pressed his finger lightly onto the scroll. Instantly, his name glowed with a faint blue light—and then every name on the scroll lit up.

The surrounding Meteor Folk all wore joyful expressions, clasping their hands and bowing in prayer.

In an instant,

an indescribable feeling descended upon the room.

Outside, the Qixi Bluebirds and Blue Cotton Birds began to sing. Baimu, immersed within, felt an inexplicable warmth spread through his body—as if light had settled upon him...

No.

Not just him.

As Baimu lowered his head, he noticed that the Gulpin shared a similar feeling, and the several Poké Balls at his waist glowed faintly.

What exactly is this…?

Ancestral technology?

"This is the blessing of our ancestors," said the Dragon Elder with great tenderness, hugging Baimu again. "Let me say it once more: welcome home, child!"

The latter paused slightly, then gently hugged the Dragon Elder in return. "Thank you, Elder."

The ancestral recognition ceremony was now complete.

After returning the scroll, the Dragon Elder began presiding over a simple meeting to discuss how to respond to the possible arrival of Team Rocket.

【To be honest, I've been using Yeguo Reading to follow updates lately—it supports multiple sources, voice narration, and works on both Android and iOS.】

As the leader who, over a decade ago, guided the entire Starfall People to relocate beyond the Starfall Waterfall, she was far from ignorant of the outside world and actively introduced new external things.

The power poles and signal towers in the village were proof enough.

Thus, the Dragon Elder took the notorious organization Team Rocket very seriously.

"Should we call some clan members back?"

Someone suggested.

The Dragon Elder shook her head. "No need. We only need to guard the village and protect our ancestral land. As Baimu said, the Hoenn Champion will handle the rest."

"Then, should we assign the village patrol to guard the ancestral land for now?"

Another suggested: "We old folks are still here. Though our combat strength has declined greatly, dealing with a few sneaky little thieves shouldn't be a problem."

"Exactly! Old Qingliu has been guarding the gate all along, right? We can do it too!" said a younger Starfall People, estimated to be around forty.

Old Qingliu cursed, "What do you mean 'guarding the gate'? What do you mean 'guarding the gate'? You little brat, don't just blabber nonsense! I'm just taking a stroll outside the village! Who's guarding anything?"

"Hahahaha…"

The Starfall People burst into laughter.

The atmosphere was relaxed, making the already informal meeting even more casual.

The Dragon Elder, who seemed to dislike rigid formalities, nodded after listening to the other Starfall People's opinions. "Then let's arrange it this way—give the young ones a new task! Meeting dismissed!"

"Got it!"

"Don't worry, Elder!"

The Starfall People responded enthusiastically, gathering up fruit peels and packaging, then turned and left.

Baimu also stood and walked out.

But the Dragon Elder called out to him: "Wait—I'll have someone arrange a place for you to rest. If you wish, you can choose a good spot nearby and build a house to settle down."

"Uh… okay."

Baimu did not refuse; having another house couldn't hurt, and when he became Champion someday, he could come here for a vacation.

Miss Xijiana even has a vacation villa in Unova, and Champion Dawu gave his Sinnoh villa to the player protagonist—everyone's a landowner.

Not long after.

Under the guidance of an elderly woman.

Baimu was given a spacious room in a Japanese-style mansion near the Dragon Shrine.

The elderly woman said: "This is the Elder's home, but her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter are all traveling, so lately she's been staying at the Dragon Shrine."

"Sun Nu… is that Miss Xijiana?" he asked.

"Yes. Did you meet her outside?"

The elderly woman immediately guessed the reason and smiled. "That girl is very interested in you. She even said she'd teach you to become a proper Dragon Tamer, then ran off. We originally thought she'd be the one bringing you back, but we didn't expect…"

"I just happened to be traveling through Leafgreen Town and came over after hearing about an emergency."

Baimu politely explained.

"You traveled such a long distance just to warn us—how hardworking you are. I'll bring lunch over at noon. Rest well, or feel free to wander around the village." The elderly woman did not linger, gave him permission to move freely, then left.

"Phew…"

He exhaled.

Every Starfall People was exceptionally kind, treating him like their own child, speaking warm words and doing heartwarming things.

Baimu was happy, but he was also somewhat unaccustomed to it.

He poured himself a glass of water, then asked Gulpin if he was thirsty. When he saw the latter shake his head, a voice from outside—the familiar Starfall People named Zhenya—called out.

"Baimu! Are you in there?"

"I'm in!"

Baimu pulled back the screen.

"Come quick!"

Zhenya waved. "Everyone's waiting for you—they all want to meet you."