Chapter 594: The Grudge-Holding Strange Tree

A female Terapagos?

Its appearance does seem somewhat similar, but Luo Mu had never seen a male Terapagos, so he couldn't distinguish the differences.

His expression shifted slightly; he felt neither alarm nor joy, but rather looked at the two professors with some confusion.

Terapagos seemed to be a legendary Pokémon; he vaguely recalled that most legendary Pokémon were genderless, weren't they?

However, since a population of Terapagos had existed two million years ago, it stood to reason that they possessed genders.

Having convinced himself, Luo Mu didn't disturb the two professors' examination but waited quietly nearby, simultaneously keeping an eye on Terapagos's condition.

Fortunately, throughout the entire examination, Terapagos reacted very little; apparently, the treatments by Lei Guan Wang and the Zygarde Core had taken effect, and the fact that it hadn't entered a state of further aggravated stress was a stroke of luck within a stroke of luck.

"Physical condition is healthy, energy reserves are sufficient; though in terms of total quantity, it might not compare to the 'Treasure of Area Zero' within the Great Crater of Paldea, overall, it's roughly as you described."

"It received a massive stimulus before being teleported, and changes in the surrounding environment exacerbated its reaction, ultimately leading it to simply choose escape—this might be related to its personality, but since sample size is insufficient, this is likely all the judgment we can make."

While tidying up the examination instruments alongside her husband, Orin explained to Luo Mu.

Luo Mu listened carefully to the explanations from this expert on Terastallization and ancient Pokémon, but when the other party mentioned that Terapagos's total energy might not compare to the 'Treasure of Area Zero' within the Great Crater of Paldea—meaning the other Terapagos that had survived from the past to the present—his expression shifted slightly.

Of course, Luo Mu wasn't emotionally affected by this matter; rather, he had noticed Professor Orin's 'modest' choice of words.

Luo Mu's memory was fairly good; he realized that the instruments the two professors used to examine Terapagos's condition were exactly the same as those Professor Turo had used to check the other party's physical condition when taking him to the Great Crater of Paldea to observe the 'Blue Disk'.

This meant that the values above could be compared.

However, by comparing the fairly clear values in his memory with the figures just calculated, one could clearly see that it wasn't a matter of 'might not compare'; rather, the total energy of both parties wasn't even on the same scale.

The gap in values was like the difference between a wild, ordinary Shinx and one's own Luxray, or even greater.

That one could bear the title of 'Third God', while the one in his home was at best a member of its species, and a relatively weak one at that.

Even so, Luo Mu had no thought of disdaining this little fellow who had come from the past.

He was just an ordinary farmer, not the kind of Trainer who pursued only combat power.

Seeing that it was nearly noon, Luo Mu, who had specially invited the others over, naturally kept the two professors and Peony there for a simple meal.

At the dinner table, Peony was visibly cheerful, occasionally serving dishes to Orin and Turo, introducing them as specialty dishes made by the Audino or the leader and minions of the Falinks.

Looking at his proud demeanor, anyone unaware might think Peony had cooked the entire meal himself.

Koraidon lay on the carpet, staring fixedly at the array of delicacies on the dining table, drool nearly dripping onto the carpet.

"Audino~"

Only when a figure appeared before it did Koraidon withdraw its gaze, looking at the little one before it—an Audino wearing a pink apron.

Although when it had seen the other party not long ago, Koraidon's wild intuition had given it an initial feedback of vigilance, wary of another kind of energy hidden within the Audino that might not be so friendly toward itself.

But after learning from Peony that the Audino was the one cooking, Koraidon immediately abandoned its wild intuition.

—This one provides the food; must curry favor with it.

Seeing the Audino approach, Koraidon sat up with a 'swish', acting just like a big dog, gazing eagerly at the Audino, its attention completely fixed on the plate the Audino was carrying.

When the Audino drew near, the dish on the plate was, unsurprisingly, Koraidon's favorite: sandwiches.

Koraidon's eyes instantly lit up.

On the other side, Miraidon, slightly more reserved than Koraidon yet possessing its own unique charm, displayed an identical expression toward the sandwiches brought by the Falinks minions.

At the dining table, Orin somewhat unskillfully used chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork with alternating fat and lean meat, its color ruddy, and eagerly sent it into her mouth.

The meat melted in her mouth, fatty yet not greasy, lean yet not dry; a rich soy sauce aroma spread across her tongue, carrying a slight sweetness and layers of five-spice flavor, each bite seeming to dance on the tongue, leaving an endless aftertaste.

Her eyes immediately widened, flashing with surprise and Tao Zui within Emperor Yan Di.

"What dish is this? It's so delicious!"

"Sweet-style braised pork; does it suit your taste?"

"Delicious!"

Orin responded with just two short words before she couldn't help but reach with her chopsticks again to pick up another piece of braised pork.

She was enthusiastic about everything ancient and also loved meat dishes.

But this wonderful texture and combination of flavors were something she was tasting for the very first time!

On the other side, Turo was also devouring a dish with great vigor.

It was a purely vegetarian dish called Fish-Fragrant Eggplant; the name contained 'fish', yet no fish had been added.

The lightly fried outer skin of the eggplant had a unique texture, while the inside retained the eggplant's inherent softness, stickiness, and juiciness.

One bite down, first one felt the unique texture of the skin, followed by the dense warmth of the eggplant melting in the mouth.

The specially prepared fish-fragrant sauce, with its perfect balance of sour, sweet, and slight spice, permeated every fiber of the eggplant; the aromas of garlic and ginger intertwined with the chili and the rich soy sauce fragrance of the sauce, blending with the eggplant's freshness, making Turo unable to stop eating.

For the sake of the muscles on his body, Turo had always been extremely restrained regarding his diet, yet now he couldn't restrain himself at all, eating mouthful after mouthful of the eggplant soaked in sauce and oil.

"This is that... yes, cuisine from the Chinese restaurant operated by Gym Leader Master Master Haidai, only it's even more different!"

Turo recalled that a couple of years ago, when he was traveling around seeking sponsors, he had gone several times to the most famous restaurant in Cortondo City during meals with some investors.

However, compared to the Chinese cuisine there, the cooking in Luo Mu's home seemed even more unique.

Luo Mu naturally understood what Turo meant to express; judging from the Chinese cuisine restaurant opened by Cortondo City's Gym Leader Master Master Haidai, this world also possessed such a culinary tradition.

—It's just that, like many culinary traditions expanding into other countries, it had ultimately undergone localization, becoming more suited to local tastes.

Setting aside the controversial topic of authenticity, most of the dishes on this table, although made by the Audino and the Falinks, were based on recipes prepared by Luo Mu himself.

In order to better recreate the flavors from his memory, he had even specially cleared a plot of land to cultivate spices, so naturally, the taste was unique.

The two professors were by nature personalities who could accept new things, so having these reactions was not strange.

After a hearty meal, Professor Orin, sitting in a daze to aid digestion, hesitated for a few seconds before finally asking, "Regarding the matter of Terapagos, Luo Mu, if you don't mind, could you tell us how you managed to awaken it so quickly?"

Turo also sat up slightly straighter, equally interested in this topic.

"It's no great secret."

Luo Mu waved at Victini, who was currently watching commercial breaks during an animated show, and it flew over happily.

"This child is called Victini; it possesses the ability to share the energy within its body, and for most types of energy, its energy can accommodate them."

Pinching Volo's exceptionally soft cheek, Luo Mu signaled for Volo to let the two professors experience it firsthand.

A golden aura steamed upward, and the bodies of the two, slightly weary from the previous night, quickly filled with vitality.

"This is!"

Orla and Phoebe widened their eyes; after rapidly grasping the situation, their gaze toward Volo held a touch of longing.

If what Luo Mu said was true, this was simply the energy source anyone could dream of!

Energy that perfectly adapts to any form of energy is unheard of; if it could support the operation of a time machine, its value would be immeasurable!

However, such thoughts and glances appeared for only an instant before the two suppressed them.

Surprise aside, they would not do anything irrational.

This had nothing to do with their dreams and goals; it was merely the most basic restraint of being human.

After chatting for a while longer, the two professors mentioned their upcoming research goals after returning to the Great Crater of Paldea in a few days, then left the farm together with Penny, Koraidon, and Miraidon.

League Year 799, January 3rd.

Today was the third day of the New Year; after a heavy snowfall last night, the farm had once again become a world draped in silver.

Besides daily matters, Luo Mu had one new thing he needed to do every day.

This was probably something many students would do without fail during winter or summer breaks.

— Attend driving school and obtain a driver's license.

In the Pokémon world, driving schools naturally existed as well.

But since Luo Mu already knew how to drive, all he needed to do was supplement his knowledge of traffic rules at the driving school to ensure he wouldn't fail the upcoming exam.

The main issues regarding knowledge stemmed from slight changes due to the differences between worlds, as well as the factor of Pokémon.

Fortunately, this world had no Subject One, Subject Two, Subject Three, or Subject Four.

The exam was divided only into a knowledge test and a driving skills test, both conducted basically at the Vehicle Management Office.

Slightly larger cities basically all had a Vehicle Management Office; even Pidgey Town happened to have a relatively small one.

Luo Mu cram-studied knowledge at the driving school for three days, then confidently booked an exam.

The exam was scheduled for two days later; Luo Mu, already feeling certain of success, was considering visiting a car dealership the day before the exam to look for a new car.

But before that, he had another important matter to attend to.

January 7th, the seventh day of the New Year.

By next month, the ice and snow would melt, welcoming the spring of all things reviving.

Luo Mu got up very early, habitually checked the shell of the withdrawn Terapagos, then entrusted the Eevee sisters to watch its condition whenever he left the farm, before hurrying out of the farm with quick steps.

A short while later, he landed outside the bustling Mesagoza City while riding a Dragonite.

"Hmm, there's still time."

Glancing at the time displayed on his cracked-screen phone and realizing the flight wouldn't arrive for another hour, Luo Mu's movements became less hurried.

Without recalling Dragonite into its Poké Ball, he walked directly into the Mesagoza City area with Dragonite.

Although riding Pokémon was not allowed within the city, having a Pokémon follow was not prohibited.

At most, Dragonite's size and rarity would frequently attract stares, causing people to subconsciously stop and look back.

Nor were there any suspicious-looking fellows dressed entirely in black during broad daylight, obviously not good people, running out to rob anyone.

Hmm, at least in terms of public safety, Paldea under Geeta's leadership was quite safe.

The traces of evil organizations had basically vanished, and Pokémon Hunters were continuously being heavily cracked down upon.

From time to time, one could see on TVs set out on the electronics street that some wanted illegal-entry Pokémon Hunter had been handed over to the League by an unnamed, bounty-free, surnamed Qing enthusiastic citizen.

That was good.

Time flew by, and soon it was time to go pick up the flight.

Luo Mu set off toward Mesagoza Airport, but besides Dragonite, there was now an additional "short," "petite" figure by his side.

Her gaze kept swirling around Luo Mu, as if searching for an opportunity to bite down with sharp shark teeth while Luo Mu wasn't paying attention, to take revenge.

That's right, this person was Miss Iono, who, even after half a year had passed, was still holding a grudge.

Luo Mu's encounter with Iono was accidental; he had simply been strolling aimlessly on the streets of Mesagoza City when he unexpectedly ran into Iono, who was outside looking for video material and live-streaming opportunities.

Iono's grudge-holding ability surpassed Luo Mu's imagination; she still remembered the humiliating defeat of her temporary partnership with her Great Voltorb against Luo Mu and Shizuka's Chansey during the school teacher competition.

— Iono, already grinding her teeth, subconsciously lunged to bite someone and resort to Wu Li, but was immediately lifted up by Dragonite.

Having heard that Iono was looking for video material and live-streaming opportunities, Luo Mu simply brought her along.

Iono's resentful voice, teeth still grinding, sounded beside Luo Mu: "So, the live-streaming opportunity you mentioned is just having Miss Iono accompany you to the airport to pick someone up?"

Luo Mu did not answer, but Iono got excited; her eyes brightened slightly as she guessed from a wild angle: "Ho ho ho, could it be that your ex is returning to the country and you want to save face but feel too embarrassed, so you called Miss Iono?"

"You should have said so earlier; if you begged me, Miss Iono wouldn't mind helping out with this~"

Iono got more and more excited, already imagining the scene of Luo Mu groveling and begging the great Miss Iono for mercy to save his face.

Shocked by Iono's strange train of thought, Luo Mu, currently going through security, turned back and helplessly said: "Didn't you say you wanted to live-stream and boost your popularity?"

Iono's torrent of words paused, and her eyes widened as she looked at Luo Mu.

Wait, it really is related to live-streaming?

Iono had thought that was just an excuse from Luo Mu.

Seeing Iono's somewhat dazed expression, Luo Mu sighed and decided not to argue with her.

Probably, a fool has fool's luck; looking at Iono's carefree appearance, who would know she would become a future major internet celebrity?

Who knows where all those scheming thoughts went.

Organizing his words, Luo Mu finally spoke: "Are you interested in a live-stream of the Champion Exam that could produce a new Champion-level trainer?"

(End of this chapter)