Chapter 119: A Thunderstorm Night, Challenging Nature (4K)

Although they had already witnessed their companions' heartless escape, when Luo Mu finally settled the matter definitively, the two Meng Ya Lu could not suppress their disappointment.

Luo Mu quietly watched the two Meng Ya Lu, waiting for their choice.

The choice had to be made by them; whether they chose to seek their companions or follow him, Luo Mu could accept either outcome.

After all, his decision to help the two Meng Ya Lu stemmed solely from their character—their courage in standing up to protect their companions—a mere impulse of the moment.

They did not keep Luo Mu waiting long; after exchanging a glance, the two Meng Ya Lu stepped forward in unison and positioned themselves beside Luo Mu.

They decided to trust once more.

The round trip did not consume much time; just as dawn was breaking, Luo Mu, holding two used Poké Balls, with a Comfey perched atop his head, rode his Dragonite back to the lake islet where the Dragonair resided.

At this moment, the Dragonair were gazing thoughtfully up at the sky; the Delibird, mimicking them, sat squarely on the ground, staring at the sky where clouds had already accumulated, recalling that that day had also been such an overcast one.

The landing Dragonite immediately drew the attention of the four Pokémon; led by the shiny Dragonair, three Dragonair gathered around, their faces filled with concern as they inquired what had happened over there with the Dragonite.

With the Dragonair surrounding the Dragonite, the Delibird stood up and trotted toward Luo Mu with a pitter-patter, looking up and calling out anxiously several times.

Luo Mu knew the Delibird lacked confidence; although, using the psychological treatment books borrowed from Nurse Joy and coordinating with Comfey's Aromatherapy, he had mitigated the impact of the psychological trauma on the Delibird to the greatest extent possible.

However, so-called psychological trauma is not something so easily erased; it remained deeply rooted in the Delibird's heart, and once it encountered something that triggered that trauma, the shadow lurking in the depths of its soul would erupt all at once, bringing pain.

Luo Mu pondered for a moment, then crouched down to place a new flower crown, which Comfey had just made earlier in the flower field, upon the Delibird's head, smiling as he said, "Remember this: your fear of the sky and Lei Ting is not necessarily a bad thing."

"De-li?"

The Delibird tilted its head in confusion; why was fear not necessarily a bad thing?

For it, merely enduring the pain and chill of recalling that night's experience had already exhausted all its courage.

"Try to face it head-on tonight; perhaps the things that cause you pain will, in the end, become the fuel that promotes your growth," Luo Mu said, gently stroking the Delibird's head, his voice carrying a faint hint of persuasion.

To successfully carry out tonight's plan, the seed of confidence had to be planted in the Delibird's heart in advance; only then might it be prompted to make a choice.

In the time that followed, Luo Mu released the two Meng Ya Lu from their Poké Balls, personally conducted a simple physical examination for them, and then had Comfey perform a thorough treatment.

Many bite wounds left by the Lycanroc slowly healed under Comfey's Floral Healing move; during this period, through communication with the two Meng Ya Lu, Luo Mu learned some information about them.

The two Meng Ya Lu happened to be a male-female pair; they had grown up together within the Meng Ya Lu herd as "childhood sweethearts," fitting the elements of a dating game perfectly.

Due to some subtle differences, even Luo Mu, who could not identify Pokémon by scent, could easily distinguish between the two Meng Ya Lu.

Meng Ya Lu are the evolved form of Deerling, and the region where they are most widely distributed is the Unova region.

This species of Pokémon possesses a very rare characteristic: their appearance changes according to the season, taking on forms corresponding to spring, summer, autumn, and winter respectively.

The Meng Ya Lu Luo Mu encountered now were in their spring form; their appearance differed little from ordinary deer, possessing a coat of dark brown fur, while the two antlers on their heads resembled tree branches, adorned with pink flowers that looked exceedingly beautiful.

In Luo Mu's eyes, the greatest difference between the two Meng Ya Lu lay in the flowers attached to their antlers.

Regardless of gender, all Meng Ya Lu grow these branch-like antlers; according to Luo Mu's observations, the flowers on the male Meng Ya Lu's antlers were extremely vibrant and beautiful, almost turning peach-red.

In contrast, the flowers on the female Meng Ya Lu's antlers were very pale, nearly approaching a light pink, presenting the most obvious contrast to the highly distinguishable vibrant flowers of the male Meng Ya Lu.

Unlike other flowers, those on the Meng Ya Lu's antlers emitted a faint, fresh fragrance, which was very peculiar; this made Comfey extremely interested in the flowers on the Meng Ya Lu's heads, and it decided that upon returning to the farm, if the opportunity arose, it would exchange some flowers with the Meng Ya Lu to make flower crowns.

What Comfey did not know was that if it openly requested some of the flowers from the Meng Ya Lu's antlers, the two Meng Ya Lu, mindful of Comfey's grace in treating them, would nod in agreement without hesitation.

The entire day passed in waiting.

Occasionally, Luo Mu would ride his Dragonite to explore lake islands or land near the Casserolye Lake, hoping to encounter Pokémon he was interested in and suitable for his farm.

For instance, Pokémon such as Gogoat, Tropius, and Nacli.

Unfortunately, his luck seemed to have been exhausted after meeting the Meng Ya Lu; furthermore, wild Pokémon were highly mobile, the weather was not particularly clear, and he failed to encounter a single target.

Around four or five in the afternoon, the sky had become completely covered with gloomy clouds; a piercing wind howled past, causing the vegetation on the lake islet to rub against each other with a rustling sound.

The tent had been securely fixed by Luo Mu on the lake islet; although this place was not particularly spacious, the Dragonair had stated that even the typhoons and heavy rains from some time ago had not submerged this lake islet, so aside from needing to worry about potential waves and gales, it was relatively safe.

Luo Mu had already recalled the Meng Ya Lu into their Poké Balls; there was no shelter from wind and rain on this lake islet, and letting them into the tent would have been too cramped, making the Poké Balls more comfortable by comparison.

Holding an umbrella in hand, Luo Mu looked up at the sky; even without the Dragonite and Dragonair reminding him that a significant amount of Water-type energy had already gathered above, Luo Mu could tell from the color of the sky.

The heavy rain was coming.

Indeed, shortly after the Water-type Pokémon beneath Casserolye Lake began surfacing frequently, raindrops fell from the sky, transforming into a torrential downpour within mere breaths.

The sound of raindrops hitting the lake surface was incredibly dense; such weather was perfect for resting in bed, yet Luo Mu's mood was somewhat excited at this moment, because not only the rain, but also the rolling drum-like thunder of Lei Ting began to sound from the sky!

Luo Mu's spirit lifted; holding up his umbrella, he gazed at the sky, waiting for the right moment.

The Delibird huddled tightly by Luo Mu's feet, exerting all its strength to endure the fear in its heart, its heartbeat like a beating drum, almost synchronizing with the sounds within the thunderclouds.

Comfey, clinging to Luo Mu's hair to prevent being blown away by the gale, wished to use its floral scent to soothe the Delibird's emotions, but due to the blowing wind and washing rain, the combined effects made it impossible for the floral scent to persist, causing it to dissipate instantly.

Although the thunder continued to rumble within the cloud layers, lightning had not yet struck.

Luo Mu frowned; if the Lei Yu was only of this magnitude, he feared it would be impossible to perfectly achieve his objective.

After pondering for a moment, Luo Mu's gaze fixed upon the three "Dragon Orbs" on the bodies of the Dragonair, and an idea immediately surfaced.

As a former Trainer of Dragonair, his understanding of them was profound.

Before a Dragonair evolves into a Dragonite, it can utilize the three "Dragon Orbs" on its neck and tail to alter the weather; unlike simply using moves like "Rain Dance," "Sandstorm," "Snowscape," "Hail," or "Sunny Day," a Dragonair can truly manipulate the weather using the energy within the crystals.

Unfortunately, after evolution, the crystals disappear; although the Dragonite gains greater power and retains a certain sensitivity to weather moves, it can no longer command wind and rain at will as it could during its Dragonair stage.

Now, he happened to have three Dragonair capable of manipulating weather by his side; even if their power could not radiate across the entire Casserolye Lake, it did not matter, as long as they could affect the nearby area.

Thinking thus, Luo Mu quickly turned to the Dragonair and fully explained his thoughts to them.

The three Dragonair readily agreed to Luo Mu's request; ordinarily, they would not abuse their innate special powers, but since this was being used to do something meaningful and good, they would not hesitate to exert their strength.

Raindrops fell upon the slender bodies of the Dragonair, making their scales appear somewhat slippery; as Pokémon that often lived in water, they did not reject the rain.

Led by the shiny Dragonair, the Dragonite's three godmothers spread their wings and flew high into the sky; neither the gale nor the torrential rain could hinder their movements, and within mere breaths, the three Dragonair had become black dots the size of sesame seeds in Luo Mu's eyes.

Next, the crystals on the bodies of the three Dragonair began to glow with an azure luster, and a mysterious aura, profound beyond description, slowly spread outward from the Dragonair as the center.

The sensation of manipulating the weather was very peculiar, as if one had merged with nature itself.

According to Luo Mu's request, the three Dragonair worked together to gather the Electric-type energy within the rain clouds covering the entire Casserolye Lake into this vicinity, and the effect was almost immediate.

Familiar lightning slashed across the horizon nearby, and the Dragonair flew back panting heavily, clearly having expended a great deal of energy.

Luo Mu knew the time had come; lifting the Delibird with one hand, he approached the Dragonite prepared long ago and handed the Delibird over to the Dragonite's hands.

"The Messenger Bird is entrusted to you; let it truly witness the legend of your fearlessness amidst raging winds and storms."

Until it was carried by Dragonite, flying straight toward the spot where lightning strikes were most dense, the Messenger Bird had not yet reacted.

When it realized it was already high in the sky, surrounded by unceasing strikes of Lei Ting, resembling a vast ocean of Lei Ting.

In an instant, the Messenger Bird's heart began to pound wildly, as if it were about to escape from its body at any moment.

The Messenger Bird's trembling body naturally did not escape Dragonite, who held it tightly; Dragonite spoke to soothe it: "Bo-wu~" (Don't be afraid, I am here.)

Whether it was because Dragonite's reliable form gave the Messenger Bird some courage, it began speaking to Dragonite with a trembling voice: "De-li." (It is so high here, and there are so many lightning bolts; I am scared.)

The Messenger Bird kept its eyes tightly shut, unwilling to look at its surroundings, but the endless peals of thunder could not be blocked out; instead, fueled by the fear in the Messenger Bird's heart, the thunder seemed to grow louder and louder in its imagination.

Dragonite was somewhat stunned; it usually had little contact with the Messenger Bird, and while fearing lightning was one thing, it had not expected that a Flying-type Pokémon would actually be afraid of the sky.

Recalling Luo Mu's previous instructions, Dragonite patiently began to gently guide the Messenger Bird: "Bo-wu~~ Bo-wu~" (Do not look down; try opening your eyes to look around.)

Keeping Luo Mu's words firmly in mind, under Dragonite's patient guidance, the Messenger Bird slowly opened its eyes.

Then, the Messenger Bird froze.

Because it was now situated right at the center where the dark clouds and Lei Ting were most dense.

Oppressive dark clouds blocked out the sun and moon, allowing not a single ray of light to penetrate, yet the dense Lei Ting streaking across the horizon illuminated the surroundings as brightly as broad daylight, making everything resemble a scene from the end of the world.

This was undoubtedly the most dangerous zone, yet Dragonite's flight was not the slightest bit turbulent; it occasionally elegantly dodged lightning striking directly overhead, and when it occasionally chose not to dodge, a emerald-green barrier would expand, rendering the terrifying lightning that nearly could have sent it to its death completely ineffective against the barrier, at most causing ripples upon its surface.

The wailing, howling gale winds could not affect Dragonite's flight posture in the least; while it would definitely have been swept away by such winds if it were itself, Dragonite instead mastered the wind, swimming freely to its heart's content within this ocean of Lei Ting.

Dragonite's excited voice rang out: "Bo-wu, bo-wu!" (Look, as long as you master the method and possess sufficient physique and skill, even a place like this is not enough to threaten us.)

Dragonite admitted it was extremely thrilled today; usually, when carrying Luo Mu, it simply could not challenge occasions like this.

Indeed, it was incomparably exhilarating; after conquering this Lei Yu, Dragonite's heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

The stunned Messenger Bird was somewhat speechless; after witnessing Dragonite's such fierce actions, much of the fear in its heart dissipated, transforming instead into surprise, shock, and a deeply hidden envy and longing.

The lightning it had encountered was merely scattered strikes falling down, completely incomparable to the sea of Lei Ting through which Dragonite was now swimming freely.

Dragonite's joyful mood was fully conveyed to the Messenger Bird through close contact and speech; it recalled the wish it had held while flying in the sky before being struck by lightning... or rather, its dream.

When flying without restraint across the boundless, endless sky, feelings of great heroism would often surge within the Messenger Bird's heart: could it, one day, conquer this endless sky and then fly as it pleased?

The reason dreams are called dreams is precisely because they are unattainable; it is exactly because they are difficult to realize that they hold value worth pursuing.

The Messenger Bird's mind suddenly cleared; it was surprised to discover that, without realizing it, the sense of fear had gradually dissipated, replaced by an intense desire to fly.

The Messenger Bird's gaze became resolute, and it spoke to request of Dragonite: "De-li!" (I want... to try dodging the lightning just like you!)

(End of Chapter)