Chapter 23

Luo Mu said: “Kingdra.”

Kingdra nodded slightly; a vine whip emerged from its collar, instantly snatching a small white object from the air and returning it to Luo Mu’s hand.

Luo Mu carefully pinched the tiny white object between his fingers, feeling its uniquely fluffy, soft texture, his eyes glinting with delight.

His original target had been Miniflora, Ridey Sheep, Spicy Girl, Land Jelly, or Tropical Dragon—Grass-type Pokémon with fixed distribution locations in Paldea.

Unexpectedly, stepping outside brought a lucky surprise: the owner of these mysterious white cotton strands drifting through the air was perfect for a farm.

And it was also the flagship Pokémon of the popular online “Alo Farm.”

“Pokémon from Galar are rare in Paldea.”

Luo Mu smiled, patted Pappa on the shoulder to signal him and Mastiff Father to follow, then led Kingdra toward the direction the cotton was drifting.

Soon, they entered a vast grassland.

Dense grass, about knee-high, covered the ground; occasionally, small Trumbeak or Skwovet skimmed low overhead, while distant red figures resembling musicians emitted sharp cries.

Following Trumbeak sometimes leads to the location of the Queen Bee, granting sweet honey—normally Luo Mu would have pursued them, but he had more urgent business; he turned his gaze back to the grassland, quickly locking onto his target.

There, two tiny Pokémon with five-petaled yellow flowers and five red, hair-like sepals were happily basking in sunlight, playing and tumbling.

Behind them, a White Fluff with a large ball of cotton piled atop its head and a yellow cloak smiled warmly as it watched over the two little ones.

Pappa was about to speak, but Luo Mu stopped him, pressing a finger to his lips and gesturing silently for Pappa to lower his voice and avoid scaring off White Fluff and the others.

Pappa nodded urgently, clutching his tail and shaking it wildly; the excited Mastiff Father whispered: “Brother Luo Mu, what Pokémon are those?”

Pappa had never seen such a Pokémon in his life; his curiosity was already soaring.

Luo Mu kept his eyes fixed on the three Pokémon and whispered: “The two smaller ones, flower-like, are Baby Cotton; the one watching over them is White Fluff. Both are from Galar.”

“They’re nearly nonexistent in Paldea. Meeting them here means the Goddess of Luck has favored us.”

Pappa nodded in understanding—Galar, he’d never been there.

Upon hearing “Goddess,” Kingdra instantly stiffened, its tail flicking irritably.

Goddess!

Where is the Goddess?

Come out and fight! (▼ Min ▼#)

As Kingdra indiscriminately radiated its jealous fury, Pappa let out a stifled cry: “They’ve flown away!”

A rustling sound rose across the calm grassland; a strong wind swept through. The two Baby Cotton let out excited cries, carried off by the breeze, spinning in circles as they sang a cheerful tune.

White Fluff, as if unbound by gravity, rose into the air—its much larger body carried by the wind, closely trailing the two Baby Cotton.

Pappa marveled: “So amazing! How did White Fluff fly like that?”

Because as the evolved form of Baby Cotton, White Fluff’s height and weight changed little; only its head, crowned with extremely light cotton, made it appear heavier—it could still be carried by the wind like Baby Cotton.

Luo Mu had no time to explain this to Pappa; he rose swiftly, ignoring the numbness in his legs from crouching in the grass, and whispered: “Let’s chase!”

“Huh? Oh!”

Pappa stared, dumbfounded, as Luo Mu and Kingdra shot forward like arrows—by the time he blinked, they were already far ahead.

Forgetting his shock, Pappa let go of his arms and sprinted after Luo Mu and Kingdra’s retreating figures; the excited Mastiff Father stayed close beside him, faithfully guarding.

After the chase, Pappa leaned on his knees, gasping heavily, feeling as if his heart might burst.

Luo Mu slowly steadied his racing heartbeat and laughed: “You’re weak, kid. You’re already exhausted from running such a short distance.”

Pappa bristled: “Brother Luo Mu… you’re not exactly in great shape either—you lost White Fluff and the others! How can you say that?”

Luo Mu’s face flushed; he insisted: “It’s different! Who knew a sudden gale would blow just as they floated into this forest? We lost them due to two uncontrollable forces.”

Only now did Pappa have a chance to observe his surroundings: towering trees filled his vision, dense obstacles and complex terrain made losing them unsurprising.

After catching his breath, Pappa blinked and asked: “So what now? Was all this for nothing?”

Luo Mu crossed his arms, thought for a moment, and sighed: “Let’s search nearby. The wind’s stopped now; with their speed, they can’t have gone far.”

“But if we still can’t find them in an hour, we’ll head back. Night’s coming—outdoors at night are easy to get lost in.”

Pappa nodded vaguely—he had no real sense of danger in the wild at night.

Luo Mu did not split up with Pappa to expand their search area and efficiency; they were in the wild, and any accident could happen unexpectedly.

Pappa was not yet the future Pappa-senpai—he still lacked many crucial experiences and awareness when facing danger.

As Pappa’s senior and future teacher, Luo Mu felt responsible for protecting him.

Though this lowered efficiency, it at least prevented accidents.

For the next half-hour, the two searched with Mastiff Father and Kingdra, but found nothing.

Looking up at the sky turning dim gold, Luo Mu knew it was time to leave.

Fate simply wasn’t with them.

Luo Mu smiled helplessly, turned to Pappa, and said: “Let’s go. We should head back.”

Pappa nodded and fell in step behind Luo Mu.

“Gaaak!”

Kingdra suddenly lifted its head, its crimson eyes fixed on the distant forest.

“You sensed their presence?” Luo Mu paused, turning to Kingdra.

Kingdra nodded, its deep gaze unwaveringly locked on that direction.

Besides the three Grass-type Pokémon’s auras, it also detected a foreign aura—very likely not a companion of White Fluff and the others…