Chapter 386: The Two Extra Wooden Carving Blocks: A Special Unknown Totem Form

Under Lei Guan Wang's suppression, the spacetime rift could not expand, and the world's self-repairing power continued to take effect.

Luo Mu only had time to pull out his camera and snap a picture of the countless, densely packed single eyes opening within the pitch-black spacetime rift before the rift closed at a speed visible to the naked eye, vanishing completely.

With a few clattering sounds, twenty-six wooden carving blocks landed neatly in front of Yan Di under Lei Guan Wang's telekinetic control.

Watching the crystallization phenomenon around them rapidly dissipate, Yan Di's gaze fell once again upon those twenty-six wooden carving blocks.

Because he was an existence born from Xiao Mi's dreams, influenced by the power of the Unknown Totems.

Thus, Yan Di could clearly sense the twenty-six Unknown Totems within the wooden carving blocks, as well as the invisible channels connecting those Unknown Totems to himself.

Yan Di vaguely sensed in his heart that perhaps it was precisely because of these twenty-six thread-thin channels that he did not disappear along with the retreat of the crystallization phenomenon.

Turning his gaze toward that majestic existence riding a black horse like a king, Yan Di had not yet had time to voice his questions when the other party, as if knowing what he was about to ask, spoke first.

"They were awakened by Xiao Mi's wish to protect you; before they fell asleep, I reached an agreement with them."

"As long as these twenty-six wooden carving blocks are not separated, and the distance between you and them is not worlds apart, you will be able to maintain your existence and remain by that young girl's side."

Lei Guan Wang smiled at Yan Di; through communication with the Unknown Totems, it learned that the Unknown Totems wished to help that human girl named Xiao Mi.

After accepting its proposal—"You wouldn't want Xiao Mi to feel sorrow from losing not only her father but also the 'substitute' father, would you?"—the Unknown Totems indeed used their miraculous power before falling asleep, creating twenty-six channels to sustain Yan Di's existence.

With these channels in place, Yan Di could maintain his current power while remaining by Xiao Mi's side indefinitely.

The only cost was that he could not stray too far from the twenty-six wooden carving blocks.

Yan Di widened his eyes, looking at Lei Guan Wang in shock, never expecting it could accomplish such a thing.

After a brief moment of thought, Yan Di solemnly expressed his gratitude to Lei Guan Wang, as well as to Luo Mu, whose presence had given Lei Guan Wang the resolve to make this decision and summon the strongest external aid.

"Thank you very much for your help; I will never forget this kindness!"

Just as Luo Mu was about to wave his hand to tell Yan Di there was no need for such formality, Bi Ke Ti Ni flew in front of Yan Di, crying out several times in dissatisfaction.

"Bi Mi! Ti Ni!"

Clearly, he and Feng Su Gou had also contributed, so why was Yan Di only thanking Luo Mu and Lei Guan Wang!?

Facing Bi Ke Ti Ni's dissatisfaction, Yan Di merely frowned in confusion, and after a moment of silence, hesitantly asked, "What... is it saying?"

Not only did Bi Ke Ti Ni freeze instantly, but even Luo Mu and Lei Guan Wang displayed expressions of shock.

Yan Di actually couldn't understand what Bi Ke Ti Ni was saying?

Morning.

In the slightly damaged Snowdon mansion, sunlight seemingly bringing forth new life gently showered down.

Seeing Yan Di lying beside Xiao Mi with his eyes closed to rest, Ash and his companions' eyes shimmered with wonder.

Then, they looked with admiration at Luo Mu, who was accepting hospitality from Professor Yukido's assistant and drinking black tea that Mother Hanako had volunteered to brew, their faces full of respect.

Not only had he resolved the incident on Ascorbia Island, but this time as well, he had settled the matter in one go with an overwhelming presence akin to a deus ex machina, even managing to keep Yan Di behind through some unknown method.

Truly, he was full of security.

After finishing the black tea, Luo Mu called Xiao Mi aside, and after a brief exchange, personally handed her a box that seemed slightly heavy for her, instructing her with a solemn expression, "You must keep this safe."

Struggling to hold the box, Xiao Mi clenched her small hands and responded earnestly to Luo Mu's instruction, "I will, big brother."

"Very good."

Smiling, Luo Mu ruffled Xiao Mi's hair, and only after watching her happily ride on Yan Di's back into the room did he stand up, his gaze passing through the window to look at the courtyard outside, overgrown with greenery.

It was hard to imagine that although Yan Di could speak human language, he could not understand the meaning of Pokémon cries.

Luo Mu felt this might be related to two factors: the power of the Unknown Totems, and the fact that Yan Di was born from Xiao Mi's dreams.

Compared to a pure Pokémon, Yan Di was more like something the Unknown Totems sculpted through Xiao Mi's dreamscape—

"A Professor Yukido who speaks human language, lacks Professor Yukido's memories, but retains Yan Di's appearance, hence unable to understand Pokémon language."

An existence like this was truly marvelous.

After completing the support, Lei Guan Wang rode Meng Lei Gu back to the farm; before leaving, it took the opportunity to repair the ground scorched to ash by Feng Su Gou under the cover of night for Luo Mu.

Then, time arrived at morning.

Thanks to the efforts of Miss Miss Junsha and Professor Yukido's assistant, reporters who had heard the news were kept outside; apart from the Rocket Trio who had slipped away at some unknown time, Ash and his companions, Hanako, and Professor Oak all accepted Xiao Mi's invitation and returned to this Snowdon mansion as guests.

At this moment, in the courtyard of the Snowdon mansion, Feng Su Gou looked somewhat helplessly at Professor Oak, who was observing him from different angles like an obsessed stalker.

Professor Oak even stuck his butt out, pressed half his face against the ground, and assumed an extremely low perspective to observe the cloud-like fur on Feng Su Gou's paws.

How to put it? It felt like he was just short of drooling.

As Professor Oak wiggled his hips closer and closer, emitting some vocal particles that sounded too inappropriate to broadcast, even a husky-like Feng Su Gou could no longer hold it together.

Feng Su Gou first cast a pleading gaze toward Meng Lei Gu, who was nearby struggling to groom himself alone, but Meng Lei Gu, already ravaged by Professor Oak, ignored him.

Next, Feng Su Gou keenly noticed a gaze casting down from a window inside the house.

It was Luo Mu!

Like someone grasping the last straw of hope, Feng Su Gou cast a pleading gaze toward Luo Mu.

He thought to himself, I was raised by Luo Mu since I was small; surely Luo Mu wouldn't have the heart to leave me alone to face this terrifying old stalker just because I chewed up a few hundred pairs of slippers, right?

Feng Su Gou had selectively forgotten that it was Luo Mu who had handed the two of them over to Professor Oak; he swore that if Luo Mu saved him this time, once they returned to the farm, he would absolutely never chew up a few hundred pairs of slippers again!

From now on, at most one pair of slippers per day... I've been good, please spare me!

However, Luo Mu's gaze met Feng Su Gou's only for an instant before retracting at a speed that shocked the dog.

He even disappeared entirely from behind the window!

Feng Su Gou's plea for help instantly froze in place.

Meanwhile, Professor Oak felt he was already high beyond belief.

Resembling Raikou, one of the three legendary Pokémon resurrected by Ho-Oh according to legends circulating in the Johto region, an Electric and Dragon-type Pokémon named Meng Lei Gu.

And what appeared to be a regional form of Feng Su Gou, a Fire and Rock type, this was the first time he had seen such a Feng Su Gou filled with unknowns from such close range!

As a Pokémon Professor, Professor Oak believed his current self was already in heaven.

Looking at Feng Su Gou, Professor Oak breathed heavily without making it obvious, his entire aura pressing down so hard that Feng Su Gou, who was usually lawless on the farm and could only be restrained by Luo Mu, Moltres, and the main forces Luxray and Serperior, was now sweating profusely.

Professor Oak murmured to himself in a volume only he and Feng Su Gou could hear: "As expected, just looking isn't enough; I must touch it with my own hands."

Just as Professor Oak's sinful hands reached toward Feng Su Gou's mane, which made him endlessly curious and unable to stop wondering what substance could possibly compose it.

Perhaps Professor Oak's gaze was too lewd, or maybe the constantly wriggling fingers of those hands made Feng Su Gou feel a chill of disgust.

Like the final straw that broke the camel's back, Feng Su Gou finally could not endure it anymore.

Feng Su Gou opened its mouth and fired a close-range Flamethrower straight at Professor Oak!

Inside the Snowdon mansion, Luo Mu, who had already agreed to let Professor Oak observe Feng Su Gou and Meng Lei Gu and thus could only ignore Feng Su Gou's pleading eyes and temporarily leave, heard the commotion outside and poked half his face out from the window.

Then, his pupils constricted.

It was absolutely not shock at seeing Professor Oak being roasted by Feng Su Gou's Flamethrower.

Rather, it was because after enduring a baptism of Flamethrower from Feng Su Gou, Professor Oak had nothing on him but some pitch-black ash; even his clothes had not been burned through.

After spitting out a ring of black ash, Professor Oak moved freely, showing not a single trace of burns, and continued approaching Feng Su Gou.

At this moment, only one thought floated in Luo Mu's mind.

Could this be the legendary Super True Newbie?

Seeing the terrified look on Feng Su Gou's face, a few traces of pity suddenly rose in Luo Mu's heart.

After a brief thought, he turned around, choosing that out of sight meant out of mind.

The moment Luo Mu had just turned around, the intuition cultivated solely after becoming a Trainer told him that something behind him was watching.

When he lightly tapped his toe on the floor, making a secret signal understood only by him and Mimikyu, two soft 'pat-pat' sounds suddenly rang out from behind.

As Luo Mu slowly turned around, Mimikyu in the shadow also popped its head out with extreme speed.

By the time Luo Mu had completely turned around, he found nothing behind him.

Apart from three walls without any hidden doors, there was nothing at all.

"Q?"

At this moment, as if discovering something, Mimikyu tugged at Luo Mu's trouser leg with one Shadow Claw, while pointing its other Shadow Claw at the wooden floor of the Snowdon mansion.

There, two slightly different wooden tablets lay quietly.

Upon closer inspection, the wooden tablets bore Ke Yin of two patterns slightly different from the patterns on Xiao Mi's twenty-six wooden tablets.

They were respectively: "!" and "?".

In other words, an exclamation mark and a question mark.

Afternoon.

"Then we shall take our leave." Hanako bowed slightly to Professor Nishino's assistant, "Thank you for your care today."

The assistant waved his hands in panic and said to the few people before him, "Not at all; if it weren't for everyone stepping forward to help, perhaps right now Xiao Mi would still..."

Halfway through his sentence, the assistant suddenly covered his mouth, forcibly stopping the words that were about to follow.

He glanced guiltily at the window of the room upstairs; he had almost forgotten that the Entei, which doted so much on Xiao Mi beside her, would no longer do what it did last night.

However, relying solely on Entei, could Xiao Mi truly be taken care of well? It seemed he needed to find a way to contact the Lady, who had unilaterally cut off contact with this side.

Although they were already divorced, with Professor Nishino now missing, she surely would not leave Xiao Mi all alone.

Professor Oak, who had long become exceedingly shrewd, also noticed this point and subtly shifted the topic.

"Regarding Professor Nishino, I will subsequently organize researchers to attempt an investigation at the location where he disappeared; during this period, I entrust Xiao Mi to your care."

"Troubling you all; I will be careful!"

The assistant looked at Professor Oak with gratitude and nodded repeatedly.

Listening to their conversation, Luo Mu said nothing.

He remembered that at the end of the movie, shortly after the Crystal Tower incident concluded, Professor Nishino, who had been taken away by the Unown, was directly "spat out" by the Unown within the spacetime rift.

Nowadays, the Unown residing in the spacetime rift had returned to their homes just as in the movie, and the Unown within the wooden tablets had also returned to the wooden tablets, so there should be no problem.

Wooden tablets...

Thinking of these three words, Luo Mu subconsciously touched his pocket.

Those were symbols independent of the Unown symbols representing the twenty-six English letters, having no connection whatsoever to the twenty-six wooden tablets brought back by Professor Nishino's assistant.

Then, what was the story behind those two wooden tablets that had inexplicably fallen behind him, carved with symbols representing a question mark and an exclamation mark?

The crowd left the Snowdon mansion, walking through the beautiful green grasslands.

After a while, Professor Oak drove his car, taking Hanako toward Pallet Town, leaving only Luo Mu to spend time with Ash and his companions.

Noticing that all three were staring at him, Luo Mu smiled and, as the adult, proactively started a conversation.

"I am heading to the Shi Ying Plateau; where do you plan to travel to next?"

The three exchanged glances, and Brock, who was reliable and steady except when facing older sisters, answered Luo Mu's question.

"As for short-term goals... it is to head to Ecruteak City, I suppose; there lies the Ecruteak Gym, where Ash can obtain his fourth Mei Hui Zhang."

Speaking of Gym battles, Ash immediately became excited, almost wanting to rush straight to Ecruteak City in one breath.

But before that, Ash came before Luo Mu, looking at the Delibird beside Luo Mu that was tilting its head to watch him, and bowed slightly to request: "Mr. Luo Mu, please have a Pokémon battle with me!"

"Pika Pika!"

Pikachu, resting on Ash's shoulder with amazing balance, imitated the gesture, very solemnly issuing a request to the Delibird.

At the Shi Ying Conference, after defeating Ritchie only to fall in the top eight, he knew deeply that his strength was far from sufficient.

Now, opportunities to challenge strong opponents during their journey in the Johto region were extremely rare, so naturally, he wanted to accumulate further experience through battling Luo Mu.

Misty and Brock, who should have spoken up to stop Ash from troubling Luo Mu, were both stunned.

Was this still the Ash they knew, who acted like an immature brat and clamored for Pokémon battles against any Trainer regardless of identity?

Observing the determination revealed in the eyes of Ash and Pikachu, Luo Mu asked the Delibird beside him: "How about it; do you want to battle?"

The Delibird landed on the ground, staring intently at Ash and Pikachu with burning eyes, and let out a decisive cry.

"De-li!"

Why aren't we battling?

I didn't expect that after some time had passed, the two little ones I once whipped into submission would dare to actively provoke me.

They need a beating!

Seeing that the Messenger Bird also harbored the desire to fight, perhaps wanting to see what level Ash's strength had currently reached, and whether he could still become an evenly matched rival to Paul, who had learned under his subordinates, when he traveled through the Sinnoh region in the future, Luo Mu decided to accept Ash's challenge.

After a brief moment of thought, Luo Mu planned to test Ash using the same method Paul had used to challenge Cynthia in the anime.

"The rules are a 1-versus-7 single battle."

"Whether it is the Charizard that has not yet returned to Charicific Valley, or any others in your team."

(End of Chapter)