Chapter 46: The Miracle Called Evolution

Seeing the unusual behavior of the baby Cottons, Bai Pengpeng grew frantic, pacing back and forth to release his inner unease.

Just moments ago, they had been playing happily—two baby Cottons mimicking the training between Quagsire and Flareon, using the “Leaf” move to knock each other’s attacks away, offering a delightful twist compared to their usual play.

Yet suddenly, the playing baby Cottons froze, curling up in place as if their bodies were undergoing some strange change.

The other Pokémon nearby gathered around, but none could make sense of the baby Cottons’ current condition.

With no other option, Bai Pengpeng placed his hope on Luo Mu, who was napping, and asked Katiodog to wake him.

Luo Mu knelt down, first checking the baby Cottons’ bodies and finding no external injuries, then using his experience to assess their condition—and arrived at an answer completely at odds with their current state.

The baby Cottons were perfectly healthy, with no external or internal injuries.

So the reason for their strange condition deserved further thought.

Just as Luo Mu was lost in confusion, a system notification suddenly appeared.

【The two baby Cottons appear to be in great distress, but in fact, they are about to complete their evolution.】

“Evolution…?”

Luo Mu froze in place; before he could react, the baby Cottons suddenly underwent a new transformation.

A brilliant, pure white light, like a coating, slowly enveloped the bodies of the two baby Cottons.

“This… is Evolution Light!!”

Luo Mu gasped in shock, having considered every possibility—yet never once had he imagined evolution.

Combined with the system’s hint, the reason for their strange state earlier must have been the overwhelming energy released during evolution, too much for their tiny bodies to handle, forcing them to curl up and adapt.

The two baby Cottons, wrapped in sacred Evolution Light, slowly changed shape—their small bodies growing slightly larger, and from their heads, a sphere much larger than their bodies began to slowly sprout amid the white glow.

Bai Pengpeng’s expression went slack, momentarily doubting his eyes; his anxiety instantly reversed into an overwhelming surge of joy.

His two companions had finally evolved!

I won’t have to babysit anymore! (Strike that.)

Moments later, the Evolution Light faded, and the two baby Cottons had transformed completely.

Their bright flowers had become mature green leaves; their yellow capes fluttered gently in the breeze, and the cottony tufts atop their heads, laden with seeds, were strikingly eye-catching.

【Congratulations! Baby Cotton has evolved into Bai Pengpeng.】

The system, like a mood setter, popped up text just like a game dialogue box.

The evolved Bai Pengpengs curiously explored their new bodies; once they adapted, their demeanor had matured significantly—they no longer resembled the innocent, naive baby Cottons, but now stood before Luo Mu as fully grown Bai Pengpengs.

“Pengpeng~~”

The two Bai Pengpengs expressed their gratitude to Luo Mu; without his carefree upbringing and steady food supply, their evolution would not have come so soon.

Luo Mu first shook his head—it wasn’t anything worth thanking him for—then smiled and said, “Congratulations on your evolution, Bai Pengpeng!”

The other Pokémon gathered around, surrounding the two Bai Pengpengs, offering their congratulations one after another.

Luo Mu noticed that even the leader of the Wooper and his followers, and the excitedly running Katiodog, had a faint trace of envy in their eyes.

They probably wanted to evolve too.

The Wooper were no problem—they could evolve naturally once they reached the right level.

But Katiodog, born less than a week ago, would need time to build a solid foundation before evolving.

When the time was right, he would seek out a high-quality Fire Stone to provide extra power and superior energy for Katiodog’s evolution.

The evolution of the two baby Cottons infused the farm with fresh vitality; the arrival of these two “new recruits” not only eased Bai Pengpeng’s burden but also meant the farmland could now consider expanding its cultivation area.

That evening, Luo Mu summoned Quagsire to carry five baskets of fresh vegetables and fruits to the farm gate, then dialed a number.

Moments later, a small box truck departed from Pingdie Town and arrived outside the farm gate.

A horn blared—likely the driver signaling Luo Mu—then a furry head poked out of the truck, locking eyes with Luo Mu and Quagsire.

It wasn’t so much a head as a ball covered in pale yellow fur, with only its nose and limbs distinguishing it from a spherical body.

It had a prominent pig snout, prominent veins on its forehead making it look furious, and fists like boxing gloves that poked out through the window as it stared at Luo Mu.

Primeape: (▼へ▼メ)

Luo Mu: “(Д*)”

Wait, how is a Primeape driving? Who did I call?

Just as Luo Mu was thrown into confusion, the truck’s cargo compartment opened, and a burly man with a full beard yawned as he stuck his head out.

The man squinted around, taking in the dilapidated old fences and the farm without a signboard; his drowsiness vanished instantly, his eyes brightening: “So this is the long-abandoned farm everyone talks about? I never thought someone actually took it over!”

“Whoa, these are all ancient relics, aren’t they? Even a Caterpie could knock these fences down!”

The man jumped down from the truck, casually crouching before a section of fence, examining it closely while muttering to himself.

Primeape glanced at him dismissively, expertly turned off the truck, opened the door, leapt out, and strode behind the man, his right hand glowing with the “Karate Chop” technique before slamming it hard onto the man’s head.

“Ow…”

Luo Mu and the man both sucked in a sharp breath.

The man leapt up, clutching his head, ready to complain—until Primeape grabbed his ear and dragged him to Luo Mu, pinning him with the strength of a Fighting-type Pokémon as both bowed to Luo Mu.

As an apology for the man’s rudeness.

Luo Mu felt a bit embarrassed—weren’t their roles reversed here?

Moments later, the man’s gaze fell on the baskets of crops beside Luo Mu; his eyes widened slightly, and he praised, “Oh! Peter really didn’t lie to me—this batch of crops looks excellent!”