Chapter 402: Meng Lei Gu's Meow Diary and the Forum

Meow Calendar, Day 115, weather clear.

Two days have passed since the enemies invaded our home.

Thanks to my active efforts, none of the invading foes dare to cross the line.

Another day spent guarding the home.

Yesterday, I was too busy licking my own fur to record my life.

Why do the Poop Scooper and the other companions treat me like a cat? What is this "meowing"? I am a dragon.

Luxray even said that cats licking each other's fur is a very common occurrence.

Clearly, the fellows in my former pack would only fight upon meeting; is it lying to me? The Poop Scooper lies to me too.

He said the rainy season has recently begun, yet there is not a trace of moisture in the surroundings.

A scorching object hangs perpetually in the sky; the power of lightning is hard to control and easily goes astray.

I wish to request rain.

It is not that I dare not, but simply that I do not wish to drown those trees that bear so many delicious fruits due to my own whims.

Last night, I saw Luxray and the others go to fight that large flower crown riding a horse again.

Why persist relentlessly in a battle one knows will be lost?

Truly baffling to a meow.

Left by Meng Lei Gu.

It stared fixedly at the abstract symbols recorded by its own electric shocks, understandable only to itself in this very moment, yet unrecognizable if left until the next day.

The front of Meng Lei Gu's neck swayed leisurely, and its purple fur, resembling storm clouds, began to flicker with electric light.

The next moment.

Intense electric currents scorched the exposed ground, instantly turning the various symbols into a patch of charred blackness.

Having done all this, Meng Lei Gu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Not long after entering the farm.

It had been practicing control over electric currents on this very patch of land, hoping to reach the level of Luxray.

It could no longer remember from which day it started recording its "diary"; after all, Meng Lei Gu only understood the meaning of the patterned symbols burned by its electric shocks at the very moment of recording them.

Even if left behind, it would forget them as soon as it turned its head.

Relying on the advantages of its physical structure and the elevation of its location, Meng Lei Gu gazed out over the entire farm.

This was the highest point of the farm; it was said that walking a bit further along a winding road would reveal the wild mountains and forests, though Meng Lei Gu had never tried.

It possessed ample self-awareness.

Its very existence would affect many weak, wild Pokémon that, like itself, possessed intellect and wisdom.

To suddenly traverse time and space to arrive here, meet the Poop Scooper, and escape the painful life of eating raw flesh and drinking blood amidst endless strife.

Meng Lei Gu felt deeply fortunate in its heart.

Yet this happy life was like a dream or an illusion, popping at the slightest touch.

Not long ago, the Poop Scooper told it some "good news."

The "Time Machine" located in that massive pit plunging deep underground, capable of sending it back to where it once lived, seemed to have made new progress.

Perhaps before the year's end, the "Time Machine" could be constructed; once experiments succeeded and performance stabilized, they could attempt to send it back to the place it once stayed.

Meng Lei Gu did not want to return.

Oranguru had once told it a story.

When a "normal person" stays together with a group of mentally unstable "madmen," the "normal person" becomes the "madman" in the eyes of the "madmen."

After staying among "madmen" for too long, how can a "normal person" guarantee they will not be assimilated, or that their spirit has not already become disordered without their knowledge?

It was an outlier that did not belong to that time-space; life here was good, with food and drink far more delicious than anything in its memories of the past, exceeding its expectations.

Meng Lei Gu liked this place very much and did not want to leave.

But how could someone like itself, capable only of fighting and destruction, manage to stay?

This question had troubled Meng Lei Gu for quite some time, fortunately, there was still no short amount of time before that moment arrived.

It had ample time to ponder the answer to this question.

The Glass Greenhouse.

Inside the pavilion built within the greenhouse, Luo Mu received Mu Dan, who had come to visit.

"Black tea or flower tea, which would you prefer?"

Sitting in a rattan chair, Luo Mu smiled and asked the girl, whose demeanor appeared slightly restrained.

Mu Dan fell silent for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Can I have milk? The hot kind."

In fact, having slept very little these past few days, she had already consumed quite a lot of refreshing coffee and tea; now that Flareon's condition had finally stabilized, she planned to report the situation to Luo Mu before returning to the Pokémon Center in Pingdie Town to get a good night's sleep.

At such a time, rather than various refreshing teas and coffees, she preferred to drink a cup of hot milk to alleviate her physical discomfort.

"I thought you needed something to keep you awake." Luo Mu, who had been eagerly intending to show off his homemade tea leaves to Mu Dan, displayed a look of regret and said helplessly, "Then it shall be Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk, hot, correct?"

Mu Dan nodded.

The next moment, Luo Mu snapped his fingers.

Oranguru, waiting outside the pavilion, nodded gently and walked toward the automatic doors leading out of the greenhouse.

Luo Mu also called out, "Brew a cup of milk tea for me as well, add ice, thanks!"

Mu Dan:... So you're not doing it yourself after all?

Oranguru, however, was quite willing to do so.

As an outstanding graduate of the Pokémon Butler Academy, mastering exquisite tea-brewing techniques was a key part of its studies, not to mention that this was one of its duties as a butler in the first place.

Walking to the warehouse above the ice cellar, Oranguru retrieved the remaining Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk, which had been milked today from the Da Nai Guan.

Just as it intended to use telekinesis to retrieve tea leaves stored in a cool, dry place on the other side, its movement halted, and its gaze shifted toward another area.

Shortly after.

Using telekinesis, the Oranguru steadily held a cup of warm milk at just the right temperature and a cup of freshly squeezed Pecha Berry juice, placing them before Mudan and Luo Mu.

"Thank you."

Offering a faint smile of gratitude to the Oranguru, Mudan lifted the warm glass, feeling the heat travel from her palm into her body, then closed her eyes and took a small sip.

In an instant, a warm current flowed through every part of her body, granting her exhausted form a slight respite.

Mudan could roughly taste that the milk had been diluted with water.

For she remembered clearly that undiluted Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk possessed a much richer texture.

It was just that the flavor felt somewhat familiar, as if she had tasted it many times somewhere not long ago.

After drinking the cup of warm milk, Mudan felt her body, which had grown dull and cold from staying up late for so long, warm up; her smile became slightly more genuine, and she thanked the Oranguru again: "Thank you."

At first glance, milk diluted with water might seem like "cutting corners."

But Mudan knew very well that the Oranguru, aware of her poor condition and worried that consuming overly rich Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk would not only fail to make her feel better but might instead cause symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea, had specifically added water to lessen the potency of the Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk.

The Oranguru readily accepted Mudan's gratitude; shortly after, however, it sensed a gaze filled with slight resentment directed at it from the other side.

Looking at the Pecha Berry juice in the cup, and then at the familiar surroundings.

Luo Mu suspected the Oranguru was still holding a grudge over the time he had praised another Oranguru's Pecha Berry juice as being very delicious.

However, receiving Luo Mu's resentful stare, the Oranguru stated indifferently: "If you keep drinking milk tea blended with Tapu Tapu Moumou fresh milk and black tea, even with your constant farm work, the calories you burn will fall far short of the calories you consume."

"By then, you'll get fat."

One-hit KO!

With a troubled expression, Luo Mu rubbed his abdomen; in this world, he was only nineteen, and he could not let his figure go to waste, or even lose his abdominal muscles.

Picking up the glass, he took a sip of the Pecha Berry juice.

The next instant.

Luo Mu, whose face was wrinkling from the sourness, set down the cup and murmured gloomily: "Did you forget to add Combee honey?"

The Oranguru nodded slightly and ruthlessly stated the fact: "Only a little was added, after all, the reserves are running low."

"It seems the Queen Bee on the forest side has designated this area as the territory of its daughter Combee; it has no longer sent other Combees here to collect nectar, let alone gift honey."

Recovering, Luo Mu looked behind him to the open space where an apple tree grew behind the pavilion.

On the tree, a complete beehive hung suspended.

Sighing, Luo Mu continued: "A single Combee spends a great deal of time just building its nest, let alone the division of labor required among many Combees to collect nectar and brew honey; without the supply from over there, the production here is far too little."

"Going back and forth like this, the reserves are about to hit rock bottom."

Listening to Luo Mu's analysis, the Oranguru nodded in strong agreement.

Mudan, listening carefully from the side, blinked and asked in confusion: "If production isn't enough, wouldn't it suffice to bring back more Combees?"

Just like herself, her initial Sylveon could no longer satisfy her Eevee obsession.

After indulging herself, before she knew it, she was nearly assembling a full Eevee team.

Looking at Mudan, who innocently proposed a solution, Luo Mu shook his head: "That is impossible."

"Combees also have gender distinctions; male Combees are generally loyal subordinates of the Queen Bee, serving as worker bees that collect nectar and build the hive for it."

"Female Combees, on the other hand, are future Queen Bee candidates; only female Combees among them can evolve, similar to the evolution line of Salandit and Salazzle."

"However, before a female Combee evolves into a Queen Bee, lacking the pheromone abilities of a Queen Bee, it will be driven away by the colony, rejected by the Queen, and bullied by its own kind until it finally evolves and can command the Combees."

"Before the Combees evolve into a Queen Bee, I have no intention of introducing other Combees."

Having witnessed the pitiful state of the Combees in the past, Luo Mu would not allow any Combee to be bullied by its own kind.

Suddenly realizing, Mudan exclaimed while flattering: "Teacher, you really understand the habits of many Pokémon."

"It's alright, keep it low-key."

The corner of Luo Mu's mouth lifted slightly; he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked toward the Oranguru.

"Then let's purchase a batch of Combee honey from outside first, otherwise we won't even be able to meet Shuang Nai Xian's demand for making desserts."

The Oranguru nodded gently: "I will go handle it immediately."

As soon as the words fell, it exited the pavilion, leaving the glass greenhouse to provide Luo Mu and Mudan with a private space for conversation.

The two who began talking did not notice a small figure quickly flying away from the flower bushes outside the pavilion.

"Sister Lin said that after taking the Secret Spice: Salty Spice and other herbal powders ground together several times according to the treatment course, Flareon's physical condition has improved significantly."

"After ensuring its health status, we must use metabolic-boosting herbal powders made with Spicy Spice to ensure Flareon consumes enough nutrients and begins training its control over its own Fire-type energy."

"Then, we will carefully adjust its immunity using herbal powders made with Bitter Spice, taking care not to trigger Yan Dai Yan again."

Mudan reported to Luo Mu in minute detail everything she had learned over the past few days.

Compared to the money she earned easily by taking on a few programming tasks, the teacher had contributed such precious crops to help her; she absolutely had to report the situation completely and intact.

Unaware of Mudan's humblebragging, Luo Mu drank the last sip of the sour Pecha Berry juice and set it down without changing his expression.

"If you need to train Fire-type abilities, you can come to me; Cangyan Cangyan Rengui, Feng Su Gou, and Moltres can all help."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Mudan nodded gratefully.

Sister Lin had also said that for training Flareon's flame control abilities, seeking Luo Mu was the most suitable option.

Cangyan Cangyan Rengui, Feng Su Gou, and Moltres were all masters of fire; however, Feng Su Gou seemed a bit too straightforward, so when the time came, it would be better to seek help from Moltres and Cangyan Cangyan Rengui.

At this moment, the mobile phone in Luo Mu's pocket suddenly vibrated slightly; just as he was about to take it out, his hand paused in mid-air.

He had spotted the key point!

Luo Mu's brows furrowed slightly, and he asked with some hesitation: "Wait, the Sister Lin you mentioned is..."

"Nurse Joy of Pingdie Town."

Peony replied with a somewhat strange expression on her face.

"Yesterday, when Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others came to visit Flareon, that classmate Shizuka also arrived; Sister Rin told me her name so it would be easier to distinguish them in the future."

Luo Mu, who had planned to ask about it when he had time: Forget it, better to save myself the trouble of asking, otherwise it would be a bit awkward.

Luo Mu then took out his phone and discovered a text message.

"Dear User: Cat Hero, your bounty post on the Pokémon Forum has received a reply from a new user."

Below the text message was also attached a string of links.

Luo Mu did not click it, because he knew he could not log into the forum on his phone.

Under Peony's puzzled expression, Luo Mu happily took out the laptop placed nearby, which he had specially bought at the computer city for the purpose of posting on the forum.

Computer games and mobile games were simply not as interesting as training Pokémon and commanding them in battle, so Luo Mu had never bought a computer until he had this need.

Skillfully pressing the power button, he turned on the computer, entered the forum's URL, and logged into his account.

Looking at the red dot in the upper right corner of the webpage, Luo Mu rubbed his hands together like a fly, feeling a sense of anticipation akin to opening a blind box.

He had posted nearly a week ago, and finally, someone had replied.

With Luo Mu's nod of approval, Peony also leaned over, curiously watching Luo Mu click open his own post, her gaze falling upon the title.

"Cat Hero: Buying Paldea Ancient Gold Coins at a high price; recruiting veterans with experience exploring ruins; providing intelligence and strategies!"

Buying Paldea Ancient Gold Coins?

Not understanding why Luo Mu wanted to buy them, Peony remained silent, her gaze shifting to the second requirement.

A veteran with experience exploring ruins—isn't that her own idiot dad? Peony recalled how in Wang Guan, her idiot dad had busied himself for many years with a ruin that their teacher had easily solved directly, feeling that the subsequent claim of providing strategies and intelligence contained not a shred of exaggeration.

Peony suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

Perhaps instead of letting her idiot dad busy himself blindly in Wang Guan, and letting Sister Sada act as an assistant...

... it would be better to trick him into coming to Paldea and let him work for Luo Mu!

Providing both intelligence and strategies—wasn't that a hundred times better than wandering around Wang Guan like a headless fly? (End of Chapter)