Chapter 360: The Cat-Petting Plan

Baimu didn't sleep well, spending the first half of the night pondering how to trick… persuade Lei Gong to continue traveling with him.

Under the pretense of encountering Team Rocket in the future?

Logically speaking.

He felt certain he'd eventually run into these guys—even if he hadn't encountered them directly yet, given how they kept evolving superlatively, it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths.

The Hoenn region wasn't small, but it wasn't especially vast either.

To be honest, he'd never asked Lei Gong what it thought—because he always had a hunch that asking would break some invisible barrier, forcing a change in what had been silently assumed.

But after thinking it over, holding back like this wasn't sustainable.

I'll find an opportunity to ask it.

Baimu turned over and looked at Lei Gong sleeping beside the bed; every time the creature stirred slightly, his heart jolted in response. He kept feeling that if he looked away for even a moment, it would vanish without a sound.

Of course, that was surely his imagination.

The other Pokémon observed his behavior and, on one hand, felt a bit envious, and on the other, equally didn't want Lei Gong to leave.

Ordinary Pokémon naturally held reverence for Legendary Pokémon; under normal circumstances, unless ordered by their Trainer, most wouldn't attack them or harbor much ill will.

Moreover, they'd already come to regard Lei Gong as one of their own—even though they rarely communicated… but was that really important?

The Galarian Sunflora had little interaction with them either, yet none of them doubted its place among them.

So the Pokémon still awake couldn't help but quietly watch Lei Gong, just like a Trainer would.

Lei Gong: "…"

Are these guys mentally impaired?

Why are they all awake at this hour? Don't they feel it?

Suddenly, Lei Gong's gaze swept over Baimu and the other Pokémon; seeing them hastily turn away and feign sleep, it felt a mix of exasperation and profound boredom as it scratched its fur with its claw.

It rarely made such "flippant" gestures in front of others, because ever since it first did so, humans nearby had been shocked, and its two companions had insisted it maintain an air of mystery.

But after so long together, it just didn't care anymore.

What else could it do? It itched, so it had to scratch. If its claws or body got dusty, didn't it need to wash or lick it off? Hiding it would only draw Baimu's attention—better to just act naturally.

Lei Gong kept its eyes shut, utterly uninterested in dealing with these creatures.

Not long after.

The Pokémon, with their highly regular biological clocks, quickly fell asleep; Baimu held out a little longer, realizing Lei Gong likely had no intention of leaving while he slept, and slowly closed his eyes.

A dreamless night.

The next day, just as dawn began to break.

Baimu rolled onto his side and snapped his eyes open toward the bed, exhaling slightly when he saw Lei Gong hadn't vanished.

At least, not fleeing overnight proved this thing wasn't in a hurry to leave.

He flipped over—and saw Dragonite hovering above the bed, just as he'd imagined, its central head drooping directly over his own, the other two mouths aimed at his hands, dripping long trails of drool that nearly reached his face.

Stinking!

"…"

Baimu dared not move, tapping the Galarian Sunflora beside the bed, "Get me some tissues."

No response.

"If you won't help, I'll use you to wipe it off!"

Several napkins were tossed over by translucent, smoke-like tentacles.

He gently retracted his right hand, carefully catching the dripping drool, then sighed in relief, sitting up, "Close call… why is saliva this sticky?"

Baimu didn't dare even sniff it, hastily tossing it into the trash before rushing off to the bathroom with the newly awakened Happiny.

Dragonite blinked open its eyes groggily, following memory toward the bathroom—only to crash into a glass door. It was about to whine and nuzzle for sympathy when it suddenly realized it had flown backward; the glass it hit was the balcony's sliding window.

It quickly turned around and flew toward the bathroom.

"…"

Lei Gong, barely awake and having witnessed Dragonite's dumb collision with the glass, didn't know what expression to wear.

"Kee-doh~"

Grimer, clutching its doll, passed by, its voice coolly telling it to ignore it.

It's always been this stupid.

Shortly after.

The bathroom quickly erupted into chaos, followed by an unintelligible roar—then the door suddenly flew open as Dragonite screamed, trying to burst out, only to be yanked back by two hands, one large, one small, gripping its wings.

Shouting followed.

"Open your mouth! Show your teeth! You brushed your teeth yesterday afternoon and now it's this stinking this morning! You're going to the dentist!"

"Saa—Woo—"

A low, pained cry was clearly audible.

Grimer sat on the sofa, sipping a cup of black tea, feeling life was truly beautiful. Boldore lifted the fish tank, taking Gyarados to change the water.

Though Gyarados could survive in filthy ditches, Baimu wouldn't be so cruel to his Pokémon.

Not only did he change the water once a day—it was normal to change it twice.

Poliwhirl woke up last; it hadn't fought in the gym battle but had the most street battles yesterday, so it was especially exhausted, not to mention it had stayed up late.

It floated up drowsily, drifting aimlessly, still undecided where to go, when something heavy landed on its back.

"Pari?"

"Ssh…"

The Galarian Sunflora settled comfortably on Poliwhirl's back, continuing to wait by the bed for Dragonite to come out and lick or bite it—Poliwhirl's back was the safest place.

Especially stable, perfect for sleeping.

And when the Polywhirl discovered it was a Galarian Sunflora, it paid no mind and continued flying aimlessly.

It still needed some time to activate certain systems within its body.

"Roar…"

Lei Gong watched this bustling morning—not growing annoyed, but rather thoroughly enjoying it. After all, he often saw similar scenes when interacting with other wild Pokémon…

Yet the feeling was distinctly different.

Under its gaze, Baimu pulled out a massive paper map from his backpack, spread it on the bed, and faced it toward Lei Gong: "Where are you planning to go next?"

"?"

Due to the angle, Lei Gong couldn't see the map at first, puzzled; only after rising did it suddenly understand.

It scanned the entirety of Hoenn, offered no reply to Baimu's question, and simply stared silently at him.

"I'm heading to Petalburg City, because there's a Super Contest there—I need to earn the Petalburg Contest Ribbon." As if sensing Lei Gong's intent, Baimu jabbed his finger at Verdanturf Town and slowly moved it upward to indicate the route.

Verdanturf Town and Petalburg City are actually quite close, mainly because the cable car across Chimney Mountain greatly shortens the journey.

Otherwise, you'd have to take the long way—walking from Route 111 to Route 113—

Which is truly unnecessary.

Because when traveling from Petalburg City toward New Zi Jin City, you'll pass through this stretch anyway; retracing it would be boring.

Baimu watched the big cat's expression, then slowly moved his finger downward again: "Then head to New Zi Jin City and take Route 118 to the eastern part of Hoenn. Once I collect six Badges, I'll undergo the Meteor Tribe's Trial."

Upon hearing "Trial."

Lei Gong's gaze snapped off the map and landed on him.

"Trial… it's probably related to Mega Evolution. Honestly, I don't know much—Xijiana suddenly appeared, told me about it, then vanished again."

Baimu quickly explained, then tapped the map: "So, where do you plan to go?"

He looked at Lei Gong with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

"Roar~"

The latter lifted its paw slightly, deliberately sweeping it in a circle across the map, about to land outside Hoenn—but before Baimu could show disappointment, the paw swiftly shifted to Petalburg City—

The nearby Meteor Falls.

It gazed at Baimu's rapidly shifting expression, a faint smile barely visible on its dignified face, as if its eyes were about to crinkle.

"… "

Baimu felt he'd been teased by the big cat, unable to resist saying: "Aren't your aloof-cat persona starting to crack?"

Lei Gong ignored him—it had no such "persona." It did whatever it wanted.

"Alright, let's drop that. Why do you want to go to Meteor Falls? To meet the Meteor Tribe? Or is there a Team Rocket base there too?"

Baimu pressed again.

Seeing Baimu suddenly perk up, Lei Gong quickly shook its head to indicate he was wrong.

Why was this brat so excited at the mention of Team Rocket? Strange. Clearly never been properly beaten by real villains!

It was just cleaning up a few petty thugs before.

Lei Gong was slightly displeased at Baimu's casual attitude toward Team Rocket, worried he'd suffer greatly if he ever truly encountered them—after all, underestimating enemies often led to terrible consequences.

But how could it possibly tell this brat that Team Rocket was truly formidable?

Lei Gong was deeply conflicted.

Last night, it had pondered long and hard about whether to continue traveling with Baimu—on one hand, fearing entanglement; on the other, unwilling to let go.

In the end, it concluded: it was a matter of fate.

If their paths aligned, then they'd travel together.

And Baimu's intentions matched its own perfectly—he'd deliberately pulled out the map to confirm their route, and their final direction was nearly identical.

Should be… fine?

It thought carefully. Given Baimu's demonstrated attentiveness these past days, he surely wouldn't be careless when he truly faced Team Rocket.

Lei Gong's gaze swept toward Bagon. They say trainers and Pokémon gradually grow alike.

Undoubtedly, this bulky creature's calm demeanor bore strong resemblance to Baimu's occasional states of composure.

Meanwhile.

Baimu's mood was quietly excited.

Meteor Falls and Petalburg City were practically adjacent—in other words, he hadn't yet reached the point of parting from Lei Gong. It looked like he'd finally get a chance to stroke its chin and belly!

He couldn't help rubbing his hands together, then quickly hid them behind his back and coughed twice when he noticed Lei Gong looking over.

"Hmm, good. Very good."

—

Breakfast ended.

As if he hadn't been shocked yesterday, Baimu once again foolishly tried to reach for Lei Gong's chin.

The insulated gloves worked perfectly.

The routine was nearly identical to last night: start from the back, slowly move sideways, and finally succeed in touching the chin—soft yet firm.

Though this thing's face was chubby, its chin bone was still easy to feel—just be careful with the angle, or you'd brush against its two sharp fangs, heart pounding in fear of another shock.

But seeing Lei Gong starting to lie down again, the urge to remove the gloves became impossible to resist.

He checked the time, gritted his teeth, and decided: if he got shocked, he'd get shocked.

Sometimes, you never know your own potential until you push yourself.

Baimu resolutely removed the gloves and began gently scratching Lei Gong's chin—the sensation, utterly different from through the gloves, flooded instantly into his mind.

One… two…

Huh? No shock?

His smile spread across his face, then froze the next instant as lightning surged.

"Ah!"

Baimu screamed, snatching his right hand back, frantically wiping his skin and slightly charred fingertips; the numbness and tingling made him grit his teeth, unable to speak, only glaring at Lei Gong, who looked slightly smug and feigned indifference with half-lidded eyes.

You're really fucking cruel!

He had to admit Lei Gong might have a special talent for torture—how else could it inflict greater pain than when he was injured in Huang Tie Town without causing major damage?

Did the pain nerves evolve?

"You'll regret this!" Baimu threw down a threat and left with his Pokémon to buy essentials.

He'd also check the teeth of Salamence.

This guy probably has tartar—that's why his breath stinks. If he doesn't clean his mouth in time, just smelling it might cost him a week of life.

Shortly after he left,

Lei Gong also went out. Though it had learned from Baimu that the last fugitive was Xijiana of the Meteor People, what if someone had escaped earlier?

It didn't want to miss a single Team Rocket member.

Besides, based on its knowledge of them, if such a large secret base was raided and so many were knocked unconscious, Team Rocket couldn't possibly react at all.

More importantly, it didn't want a few extra tails trailing behind it and Baimu—those bastards loved to exploit any weakness.

On the rooftop,

Lei Gong's fur trembled slightly in the strong wind; its cold gaze swept across the passing crowd, and it actually spotted two or three suspicious figures.

But it didn't act rashly.

Instead, it waited until the suspicious figure wandered into a deserted area, observed carefully, confirmed the person was truly up to no good, then struck with a bolt of lightning to teach them a lesson.

Unfortunately, someone beat it to the punch.

"Ah!"

The suspicious figure was struck on the back of the head by a girl in a cloak and collapsed instantly.

Lei Gong sniffed the air, its expression turning strange. It leapt from the rooftop down into the alley, gazing distantly at the mysterious visitor.

"Roar…"

"Hi~"

Xijiana waved at Lei Gong with a smile. "You didn't chase after me aggressively today? Looks like Baimu already told you who I am?"

"..."

"I never expected he'd be hanging out with legendary Pokémon. By the way… you haven't been captured yet, have you?" Xijiana pulled a Poké Ball from her pocket.

Lei Gong lowered its body slightly, wary.

Though its suspicion toward Xijiana had lessened, if the girl tried to capture it, it would unleash all its power to shatter her delusion.

But—

The girl only intended to release a Pokémon.

"I don't know why you're chasing Team Rocket members, but sorry—these ones are mine now." Xijiana kicked the slumped Team Rocket member. "I can't hand them over to you."

Handing them to me wouldn't help anyway…

Lei Gong fell silent. It usually just electrocuted Team Rocket members, then released all their Pokémon and destroyed their electronic components.

The first part was fine; but once it did the second, most poachers or Team Rocket members would fly into a rage, glaring at it as if they wanted to kill it.

As if it had destroyed something incredibly important.

The more Lei Gong realized this, the more enthusiastically it did it—after all, it didn't care about Team Rocket's belongings.

Speaking of which, if this Meteor Person is also hunting Team Rocket, doesn't that mean Baimu will inevitably encounter them? Maybe that trial of his is connected.

The more you avoid something, the more it comes to you.

Lei Gong felt a bit frustrated, and decided that if possible, it must make Baimu understand the danger of Team Rocket, so he wouldn't get hurt later.

With this thought, it turned and leapt onto the adjacent rooftop, climbing upward steadily.

Soon after,

Lei Gong vanished from Xijiana's sight.

"The Phoenix Guard seems awfully idle… what's it even here for?" she wondered, puzzled that the creature left so abruptly, making her effort to release Flygon pointless.

She'd thought she'd have to fight over them.

Xijiana turned her gaze back to the Team Rocket member.

As the sole designated inheritor of the Hoenn region, a Meteor Person who had controlled Super Evolution since ancient times, Team Rocket's presence in Hoenn was precisely the group she never wanted to see.

She especially didn't want them to gain any ground in this matter, so she constantly scoured for their hideouts and secret bases to wipe them out entirely.

Xijiana knew two fists couldn't fight four hands, but she wasn't helpless—she understood that ice must be broken from within, so she disguised herself as a Team Rocket member and infiltrated from within—

And it always worked.

She was even surprised at how stupid these people were—why, after suffering so many defeats, could they still blindly trust others and never raise their guard?

Team Rocket, as a criminal organization, was more naive than the League itself.

Xijiana stared at the man beneath her, knowing he wasn't a fugitive—he was here to rendezvous with others from the secret base.

He'd fled the moment he discovered the base was raided, and she'd spotted him, chasing him here.

And seizing this chance,

she'd interrogate him thoroughly: what were their next plans? Where were they going to cause destruction? Where were they seeking the Key Stone and Mega Stone?

Hotel.

When Lei Gong returned, Baimu was silently waiting, rubbing the shell of a Galarian Sunflora.

His luggage was already packed.

"Back? Let's go!"

He saw Lei Gong leap in from outside, hurriedly got up and fastened the Jalier Sun Coral onto his shoulder — he had almost thought the latter had gone back on his word and slipped away early.

Looking at it now, this big cat's character was still worth affirming.

And what surprised him even more was—

"Roar~"

Lei Gong, for the first time ever, responded to this sort of meaningless remark.