Chapter 425: Dai Ke's Visit, The Second Sun Reborn from Flames

After changing his shoes and ending the call with Oyma,

Luo Mu told Lei Guan Wang, who was playing with the rarely awakened Cosmog, that he was leaving, then headed out with his Luxray.

Although Oyma had said that Brother Brother Qingmu would pick Dai Ke up from the airport and that she would just wait at the farm for Brother Brother Qingmu to drive Dai Ke over,

Luo Mu decided to go to town personally anyway.

Today was the fourth day of September, a Sunday.

Not only would this let Brother Brother Qingmu work less overtime, but as the host who had actively invited Dai Ke, Luo Mu felt he ought to fulfill some duties of hospitality himself.

On the way out of the farm, Luo Mu ran into an Oranguru carrying a Squirtle watering can, just emerging from the glass greenhouse.

Oranguru raised a hand to greet them, saying, "Young Master, Luxray, good morning."

"Good morning, Oranguru."

"Meow~"

Luo Mu and Luxray nodded in unison, returning Oranguru's greeting.

"Are you two heading out?"

Oranguru sized up Luo Mu's attire, noticing it was overly formal and didn't look like the leisurely style typical of life on the farm, so he asked via telepathy.

Luo Mu explained, "Yes, a guest is arriving shortly—the trainer of that Volcarona. Please make preparations in advance."

"Understood."

Oranguru placed a hand over his chest and bowed slightly to indicate his understanding.

Luo Mu asked further, "By the way, those items should have been delivered by now, right?"

Recalling the details, Oranguru replied, "You mean the Tera Shards? They arrived early this morning; I've already counted them, and everything is in order."

"Then please inform Swampert and the others to move those Tera Shards to the small field. In a little while, I'll bring Lei Guan Wang and our guest to accelerate the ripening of the final secret seasoning, completing the set of five flavors."

Luo Mu gave another instruction.

With Oranguru, this all-around butler, on hand, Luo Mu felt much more at ease and relaxed; many tasks no longer required him to rush about, which was very comfortable.

Before inviting Dai Ke, Luo Mu had ordered the same quantity of Tera Shards, and combined with the remainder of what Peony had bought earlier, he had gathered enough to meet the necessary conditions for ripening the final sweet ingredient.

Today, that sun on the verge of extinguishing would be reborn within the farm.

It was already ten in the morning by the time Luo Mu picked up Dai Ke from Brother Brother Qingmu, whose face looked even more weathered than Dai Ke's own, and returned to the farm.

At the farm entrance,

Dai Ke, with his fiery red hair and somewhat unrestrained attire, shielded his eyes from the dazzling sunlight, gazed out at the farm's scenery, and wore an expression of admiration.

"Wow~ So this is what a farm in the Paldea region feels like? It's vastly different from the farm at my uncle's house next door that I remember."

Dai Ke clearly remembered the sight of that slightly shabby little pasture from his childhood winter.

The pasture grass had been tinged slightly yellow by the cold winter wind, most of the ground was dry and bare, and a few emaciated ordinary cows and scruffy sheep huddled together, barely foraging in the sparse clumps of grass.

In one corner of the pasture stood a simple wooden hut all alone; the wooden plank walls were mottled from years of neglect, and several roof tiles had scattered. Stepping inside, one could see a water bucket placed there, seemingly to catch rainwater on rainy days.

Now, looking at the farm before his eyes,

uniform, brand-new wooden fences were planted in soil that clearly looked rich in nutrients.

Looking further ahead, neat stone-paved roads led to most parts of the farm; merely seeing the streetlights installed along the roadside made it clear that the nights here were never dark.

From just this small glimpse of the farm, Dai Ke felt that it was indeed worthy of being operated by Luo Mu; if he were a guest, he would certainly be willing to buy crops from here.

Seeing that Dai Ke seemed to have been staring for quite a while, Luo Mu spoke up, "Mr. Dai Ke, shall we go in?"

Dai Ke snapped out of his daze, remembering the primary purpose of his visit.

His Adam's apple bobbed a few times as he nervously swallowed; his right hand, which had grown somewhat aged, rubbed against the first red-and-white Poké Ball in the row hanging around his neck—a ball with some chipped paint. Regarding what was about to happen, he felt both anticipation and nervousness.

Even though Volcarona's current condition was worlds apart from before, facing this final hurdle still made him somewhat nervous.

Following Luo Mu into this bright and splendid yet life-filled farm, Dai Ke subconsciously touched the backpack behind him and murmured softly,

"I wonder if he will be satisfied with these two gifts."

Luo Mu had originally planned to entertain Dai Ke first, then go to the small field to accelerate the ripening of the final secret seasoning, complete the last piece of the puzzle, grind the secret seasoning into medicinal powder for Volcarona to consume, and witness the moment of its rebirth from the flames.

However, Dai Ke truly could not wait; even on the plane, with little appetite, he had eaten only a few simple pieces of bread and was now long hungry. He also wanted to see Volcarona fully healed with his own eyes before he could finally relax.

Seeing Dai Ke fidgeting restlessly on the sofa, Luo Mu helplessly instructed Oranguru to set out the prepared tea and snacks first, then called for Lei Guan Wang and led Dai Ke toward the small field.

Luo Mu also did not forget to take the tools for grinding the medicinal powder and a few auxiliary medicinal herbs.

Seeing Luo Mu's professional demeanor, Dai Ke paused in his steps and asked with some surprise, "I've wanted to ask for a long time: Luo Mu, do you actually know something about medicinal herbs?"

Luo Mu smiled, "I know a little bit; I'm still learning, and the medicines I prepare are hardly sophisticated."

This time, he was not being modest; compared to trainers who only knew how to use Potions, apply bandages, and cure certain status conditions, his current medical knowledge differed only in his ability to identify medicinal plants and his grasp of basic medical theory.

Dai Ke, however, took it as modesty and followed Luo Mu to the edge of the small field.

Looking at those few rare plants, Dai Ke's eyes lit up; these were the divine medicines that had saved his Volcarona's life!

Just then,

a vibrant cry rang out from nearby.

"Victi~"

Victini flapped its tiny wings cheerfully, flew over, and landed on Luo Mu's head.

Seeing Victini arrive as well, Dai Ke laughed heartily and warmly greeted the little Pokémon who had given Volcarona the waiting time needed for the medicine, saying, "Long time no see, Victini!"

Saying this, he raised his hand, making a motion to high-five Victini.

"Tini~"

Victini was equally quick-witted; too lazy to fly with effort, it used psychic powers to lift itself up, floating over to share a perfectly timed high-five with Dai Ke.

After the playful interaction, Dai Ke asked the question that concerned him most.

"As for the plants used to make that medicinal liquid, are they considered mature in their current state?"

"They are still some distance from maturity. Do you see those things over there? Next, we will use those to accelerate their ripening."

Luo Mu pointed to the pile of Tera Shards over there, which the Great Swamp Monster and the Mosquito Incense Frog had carried over.

Then, he roughly explained the upcoming procedure to Dai Ke.

The few of them stepped back several paces and waited for Lei Guan Wang to perform.

The operation remained the same as that night: first, extract Tera Energy tainted with a slight amount of Grass-type energy from the Tera Shards, then inject it into the soil where the Sweet Herb's root system lay, while using Lei Guan Wang's power to infuse Life Energy, causing it to grow rapidly.

However, having learned their lesson from the wild Pokémon "siege" that night, Lei Guan Wang had specifically added a layer of security—sealing the surrounding space with Psychic Energy to prevent any possibility of the unique aroma emitted after the Secret Spice matured from diffusing outward.

Dai Ke watched this scene in shock.

Both the facts and his intuition told Dai Ke that this Pokémon with a somewhat large head was extremely extraordinary.

After all, even if one could accelerate plant growth, maturing a medicinal herb with miraculous effects within a few breaths was an ability no ordinary Grass-type Pokémon should possess.

Before long, a plant with leaves as pink and tender as cherry blossoms had fully grown; holding this Secret Spice: Sweet Herb, Luo Mu directly performed open-air medicinal powder grinding right in front of Dai Ke.

Seeing this, Dai Ke felt somewhat puzzled.

Hadn't everything Luo Mu sent before been medicinal liquid?

While deftly grinding the medicinal powder, Luo Mu instructed his Luxray to circle the perimeter of the farm to prevent any stray wild Pokémon from sneaking in to cause trouble, then explained to Dai Ke.

"The medicinal liquid is made inside Shuckle's shell, which takes several days; although grinding it into powder isn't as effective as the liquid, it is sufficient."

Soon, Luo Mu finished grinding the powder and, as if performing a magic trick, pulled out two slices of bread along with some side ingredients; under Dai Ke's crumbling expression, he quickly assembled a Paldea-style sandwich and sprinkled the freshly ground medicinal powder inside.

Dai Ke: "????"

It wasn't that he was overreacting; it was just that he had truly never witnessed such a scene before!

Luo Mu wore a helpless expression.

"These medicinal herbs are named Secret Spices, so naturally, they can also be used as ordinary seasonings."

"Send out your Volcarona, have it eat this, then let Lei Guan Wang check for any hidden internal injuries; it should be completely healed afterward."

"No, let's move to another location to avoid Volcarona losing control of its power after recovering and burning down my farmland."

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Mu exchanged a glance with Lei Guan Wang.

Lei Guan Wang nodded slightly, and surging Psychic Energy burst forth, forcibly warping space.

In the blink of an eye, Dai Ke found himself already standing in an open area filled with marks of past moves.

Dai Ke murmured softly, "Teleport?"

Seeing that Dai Ke showed no signs of discomfort, this time it was Luo Mu who felt surprised.

Truly vigorous despite old age.

Victini, perched atop Luo Mu's head, cried out excitedly; it loved being teleported by Lei Guan Wang, akin to a child encountering a rocking car.

Meanwhile, having accomplished all this, Lei Guan Wang cast an inconspicuous glance at the backpack Dai Ke had been wearing all along, its face showing a hint of confusion.

Was there a sign of life inside that thing?

Under Luo Mu's gaze, Dai Ke used his slightly trembling fingers to press the button on the Poké Ball, releasing Volcarona.

Volcarona danced in mid-air by its own power, scattering scale dust like sparks of fire from its orange-red wings; apart from its aura still being somewhat listless, it was far better off than when half its wing had nearly crossed into the realm of death.

"You will definitely recover your health; I swear... we will adventure and travel throughout the world just like in the beginning, relying on our own feet and wings, and camp together whenever we grow tired."

"I will never let these memories become mere recollections."

Dai Ke took a deep breath, accepted the sandwich sprinkled with Sweet Herb medicinal powder from Luo Mu, and carefully fed it to Volcarona.

When Volcarona swallowed the last bite of the sandwich, a miracle occurred.

It was as if gathering seven Dragon Balls allowed one to make a wish; after Volcarona ate the sandwich sprinkled with Sweet Herb, the medicinal effects of the other four Secret Spices hidden within its body were instantly activated; the five Secret Spices complemented each other, completely dispelling all negative factors affecting Volcarona!

Under Dai Ke's stunned gaze, Volcarona's somewhat dim eyes became filled with brilliance.

As if understanding something, Dai Ke's eyes instantly turned red, his lips trembling slightly.

"Partner..."

As all negative factors restraining Volcarona were removed, just as Luo Mu had predicted, the energy that Volcarona had long been unable to control began to leak out.

Among a Champion's ace Pokémon, this could be considered a display of top-tier power.

At this moment, the sun had descended.

The surrounding air began to distort, and the intense heat even caused Luo Mu's and Dai Ke's hair to start curling.

Stepping back several paces to avoid the heatwave that seemed almost capable of igniting clothes and hair, Luo Mu watched Volcarona bathed in flames and golden light, his expression gradually turning to one of awe.

Yes, this was exactly the scene he had wanted to see.

Just like the most scorching sun during the dog days of summer, Volcarona at this moment seemed to become a second sun, aside from the blazing one hanging high in the sky; all pain had become the past, and the incarnation of the sun, regarded by the ancients of the Unova region, displayed its divine might at this very moment.

On those three pairs of orange-red wings, the radiance brought by the dense flames was so dazzling that one could barely keep their eyes open.

Luo Mu gradually felt that even his breathing had become scorching hot.

At this moment, a streak of blue light flared up, blocking all the continuously approaching heat outside.

Luo Mu knew that Lei Guan Wang had made its move.

Casting a grateful glance at Lei Guan Wang, Luo Mu picked up the camera he had prepared long ago, deciding to capture the most shocking photo of "Volcarona Reborn in Fire," so that when he went to Kitakami, it would make Shalour's jaw drop.

Having isolated the heat for Luo Mu and Dai Ke, who was still foolishly standing in place, Lei Guan Wang sent a ripple of Psychic Energy toward Volcarona, which had been suppressing itself above.

The general meaning was—release yourself fully; I will catch the fallout.

Volcarona cast a grateful glance at Lei Guan Wang; sensing the extremely solid Psychic Energy surrounding it, it danced with relief.

Those three pairs of flame-like wings danced freely in the sky, every movement filled with a unique rhythm; specks of scale dust fell, transforming into clusters of burning flame flowers.

The space surrounding Volcarona had completely transformed into a domain of fire.

This was Fire Dance, Volcarona's signature move; while dancing, Volcarona, surrounded by flames, resembled a monarch of fire.

As the flames heated up, its destructive power would further increase.

Victini watched Volcarona dancing gracefully in the air with sparkling eyes, its heart surging with excitement.

Its refusal of Xue Li Guai's invitation to play in order to come here specially had not been in vain.

Just this scene alone was already worth the price of admission!

Having transmigrated into the Pokémon world without a system, Qingshui relied entirely on his own efforts to become the Sinnoh Champion and reach the pinnacle as the world's strongest.

Yet at this moment, a system suddenly appeared, claiming it could help him become a Champion-level Trainer, and issued its first mission.

【Go to Professor Rowan's laboratory to receive your starter Pokémon】

【Note: Owning a Pokémon of your own and embarking on a journey is a small step every Trainer must take, but for you, it is a giant leap toward becoming a Champion】

Qingshui: "???"

Wait, I'm already the world's strongest, and you want me to receive a starter Pokémon and embark on a journey?

Being late is one thing, but isn't your lag a bit too extreme?

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(End of Chapter)