Chapter 625: Great, it's the Bait-Setting Immortal, We Are Saved!

"Who would even need to fight with their back against the wall in this situation?"

After the battle ended, Luo Mu murmured aloud.

The move "Helping Hand" is a Fighting-type status move whose effect is to raise the Attack and Defense of all allies by one stage.

If one were to speak of where this move is most famous, it should be as part of the moveset for a Riolu with the "Prankster" ability, combined and nicknamed "Riolu Help" for entertainment-focused double battles.

Unfortunately, after Riolu evolves, its "Prankster" ability changes to "Justified."

Coupled with Riolu's slight frame, which remains unimpressive even when holding an Eviolite, this tactic can only be considered an entertainment gimmick.

Luo Mu had previously pondered that if Pokémon recognized as a single entity but composed of multiple individuals, such as the Falinks, were to use this move, would the effect calculate once or stack six times?

Now the answer had emerged; it seemed it truly could stack, judging by how the Rockruff, biting with all its might just moments ago, could not even scratch the small round shields of the Falinks, proving the Defense boost was substantial.

Furthermore, gathering together in formation to unleash the six-hit "Rock Smash" worked the same way.

Things from the game undergoing such massive changes after entering the real-world ecosystem was surprising, but fortunately, there were still limitations; otherwise, the Falinks would have long become the undisputed choice surpassing most other Pokémon.

Because they are beings composed of a group, their base stats manifested on them more like a weakened version divided into six parts; even with "Helping Hand" stacked, the improvement in offensive output and defense remained limited.

Overall, there were gains and losses, and phenomena like the Defense drop triggering multiple times from "Rock Smash" were also quite miraculous.

However, the Falinks still served as logistical chefs on the farm, rarely having the opportunity to engage in combat.

After the Rockruff was defeated, Nemona seemed to have flipped the switch for her battle frenzy again, and after a series of challenges, Luo Mu was utterly miserable.

When Luo Mu sat with Nemona at the dining table, tasting cookies and biscuits freshly baked by the Shuang Nai Xian.

He couldn't help but ask indirectly, "How soon do you plan to depart? Your journey through the Hoenn region shouldn't be over yet, right? The Ever Grande Conference starts in about a month, and Paul and May haven't collected all their badges, have they?"

That was correct; Luo Mu hoped Nemona would return to the Hoenn region as soon as possible, so he wouldn't have to be dragged into battles every day.

Regarding the question he raised, Nemona, unaware of Luo Mu's true thoughts, ate a biscuit while pondering seriously.

"You're right; the Champion Assessment ended several days ago, and Paul and May have also been asking when we're leaving."

"It should be within this week, perhaps?"

Nemona answered uncertainly.

Although going to the Hoenn region meant she wouldn't be able to challenge Teacher Luo Mu after every battle, which always yielded rich rewards for her.

In exchange, she would be able to encounter more Pokémon and Trainers.

Besides, Teacher Luo Mu's home was right here and wasn't going anywhere, so it was indeed feasible to finish the unfinished journey in the Hoenn region first.

Seeing Nemona beginning to waver, Luo Mu's eyes lit up, and he grabbed his phone to start operating it immediately.

"Why not depart tomorrow? There happens to be a suitable flight; I'll book tickets for the three of you right now!"

"Going early means experiencing the scenery different from Paldea sooner!"

With the impatient desire to pack Nemona off and ship her away, Luo Mu's efficiency reached its peak at this moment.

When Nemona left, she still held the three one-way tickets that Dragonite had specially flown to the airport to retrieve, looking completely bewildered.

Those who didn't know better might think Luo Mu wanted them to stay in the Hoenn region and never come back unless necessary.

【January 18th, 13:45 PM, flight from Mesagoza Airport in the Paldea region to Sootopolis City Airport in the Hoenn region】

After seeing Nemona off and looking at the reminder on his memo, Luo Mu blinked.

Why was he able to buy tickets for three people so quickly and so skillfully?

The reason was naturally that he had already done the operation beforehand.

Calculating the time, he indeed needed to take this opportunity during the academy's break to visit the Hoenn region.

First, there was Wallace's hospitality; second, the invitation from Mossdeep City; and third, the matter concerning the giant Dragonite and Lugia.

However, Luo Mu was not worried about running into Nemona and the other two again in the Hoenn region.

Not to mention how vast the Hoenn region was and how low the probability of encountering specific individuals was.

Simply put, their routes were completely different matters.

Nemona, Paul, and May had tickets to cities near Lavaridge Town, from where they would continue challenging Gyms moving upward.

Meanwhile, Luo Mu would first go to their final Gym challenge location, "Sootopolis City," then proceed in the opposite direction toward Mossdeep City, and only finally head to the area near Lavaridge Town to try soaking in some natural hot springs.

No matter how one looked at it, the probability of meeting was very low.

With two days remaining until departure, this trip would last anywhere from about a week to nearly half a month.

Luo Mu had already made his arrangements.

As for which Pokémon to bring along, he had not yet made a decision.

Considering that the ocean area in the Hoenn region was almost equal to its landmass, Water-type Pokémon were undoubtedly indispensable.

As for other Pokémon, since he needed to visit Mossdeep City, Luo Mu was considering whether to bring additional combat strength.

If it weren't for the fact that Ash never carried mobile communication devices while traveling outdoors, and he didn't know May or Max, who traveled with him and possessed the "Navitimer."

Otherwise, Luo Mu would definitely contact them to confirm where their journey had reached.

There wasn't much important news related to Mossdeep City on the internet either; one could only say that the plot of the movie had not yet occurred.

Personally, Luo Mu did not wish to get entangled in the plot, even though the strength of that Rayquaza invading Mossdeep City should be inferior to that black Rayquaza.

But the events were ultimately connected; if he truly encountered them, Luo Mu did not want to be as helpless as those Trainers in the movie.

The only consolation was that the airspace and ozone layer territory of the Hoenn region should not fall under the jurisdiction of that shiny Rayquaza; even if the movie events truly occurred, he probably wouldn't encounter the other party.

Moreover, the primary reason for this trip to the Hoenn region was Wallace's invitation, and Luo Mu sincerely hoped this would be a pleasant vacation without any unexpected incidents.

January 17th.

There was almost no snow left on the farm.

As the snow melted, the obscured earth was revealed once more, and tender green sprouts had already grown in many places along the roadside.

This also meant that spring was approaching.

Spring was the most important sowing season for the farm, and Luo Mu planned to begin preparations after returning from the Hoenn region and once the temperatures warmed up a bit more.

Walking through the ranch area where the Tauros were still running with vigorous energy, causing slight vibrations in the ground.

Luo Mu, carrying his fishing gear on his shoulder, did not pause his stride, walking all the way toward the farm's expansion zone until he stopped beside the small stream near the new orchard.

At this moment, two more figures, one red and one blue, had appeared beside him.

The heterochromatic Shuckle sister and the normally colored Shuckle brother.

The two of them had recently ended their hibernation inside rocks and were now exercising their bodies alongside Luo Mu, while also serving as bait for what came next.

Do not misunderstand; by "bait," it refers to the fermented substances inside the Shuckles' bodies.

Luo Mu had learned this from an old man: whether kneading this stuff into the bait or using it to chum the water, the effects were miraculous.

As the air temperature gradually warmed, the frozen stream had returned to its flowing state, with small fish or aquatic Pokémon occasionally flashing by and vanishing.

Walking a short distance upstream along the creek, Luo Mu quickly discovered the large creature that caused these little ones to flee.

—Gyarados.

One had to admit, this fellow truly possessed an extraordinary level of perseverance.

Otherwise, he would never have completed his metamorphosis in such an environment as the Crystal Light Pool, evolving from a Magikarp into a Gyarados.

The care provided to the Feebas was merely one influencing factor; the world is not lacking in trainers who feed their Magikarp well yet see absolutely no desire to evolve in them.

This Gyarados had indeed run to the frozen stream every single day to lie in wait, squatting there for several months until he had literally squatted the stream into thawing!

And the result? The "glittering mysterious object" he had been lying in wait for had not appeared even once from start to finish.

Luo Mu felt that if he truly possessed such perseverance, spending these past few months entirely on currying favor with Milotic might have already succeeded.

At this moment, this stubborn and dull-witted large fellow was still squatting in the stream, completely unaware that due to his size and aura, some fish and aquatic Pokémon would rather swim against the current than meet him face-to-face.

The depth of the stream barely reached past Luo Mu's knees; for Gyarados to lie in ambush within it was out of the question, and judging by his method of squatting, he feared he would never catch anything even if he waited a lifetime.

It would be far more realistic to wait until Greavard evolved into Gholdengo, casually scatter some coins to melt down, have Tinkaton forge a pure gold statue, and then let Gyarados present that to Milotic.

Setting down his bucket and fishing rod, Luo Mu rubbed his temples, stepped forward, and patted Gyarados.

"If you stay here, you'll be blocking me from fishing."

As he spoke, Luo Mu glanced at his palm.

There was not a trace of moisture; it remained perfectly dry.

This also meant that this fellow Gyarados had maintained this posture for quite a long time.

"Roar?"

Gyarados had been wondering which little punk dared disturb Lord Gyarados in his struggle for love, and he turned to look behind him with a fierce expression.

But the moment he saw Luo Mu's ambiguous smile, he instantly wilted.

His fierce eyes seamlessly switched to a pitiful look, and he squeezed his throat to let out another "coquettish" cry.

To be honest, judging from Luo Mu's indescribable expression, the sound was not very pleasant to the ear.

The Shuckle siblings also silently took a step back.

How had they never noticed before that Gyarados was a voice-squeezer?

At this point, Gyarados was essentially throwing caution to the wind; even with his patience and perseverance, several months without results had brought him to the brink of giving up.

But during usual meal gatherings at the farm, because Milotic was present, he felt too embarrassed to bring it up and could only bottle it up inside.

Luo Mu's arrival was almost like Gyarados grabbing the last straw; he hoped to get some useful advice from this trainer who was nearly omnipotent to both him and Milotic.

Watching Gyarados's massive mouth, capable of swallowing him whole in one bite, draw closer, Luo Mu remained silent for a few seconds before speaking: "Come out first, and stay away from the stream while you're at it; don't affect my fishing."

"Roar-aw~"

Gyarados blinked his eyes, like a tiger that had completely shed its sharp teeth and claws, obediently following Luo Mu's request to leave the stream, come ashore, and then silently move further away from the water.

The moment he left, those aquatic Pokémon and fish desperately swimming "upstream" seemed to finally confirm that the vicious demon king who had occupied this stream for so long had departed.

Gradually, they began swimming through the waters where Gyarados had previously been stationed.

"This is much better for fishing."

Luo Mu revealed a smile and skillfully began his preparations.

Gyarados knew he could not be impatient; he could only control his emotions and wait to the side, occasionally casting a pitiful glance toward Luo Mu.

Actually, even now, Luo Mu was uncertain what exactly this dull-witted fellow wanted to gift Milotic.

Was the golden object in the stream a lost piece of gold jewelry, or some kind of Pokémon?

Yellow or golden Water-type Pokémon were not numerous, but they were not nonexistent either.

But Luo Mu was also unsure what exactly Gyarados had seen.

He could only tell Gyarados to wait patiently first; after he finished fishing, he would consider whether to gather some intelligence from the Hint System.

If it was a Pokémon.

Could it be Psyduck?

Or perhaps a Tatsugiri in its flat posture?

Or a heterochromatic Magikarp?

A heterochromatic Dondozo was unlikely; the size was far too large.

Or perhaps a heterochromatic Luvdisc, Buizel, or Azumarill?

Luo Mu personally leaned toward it being a heterochromatic Magikarp, after all, he and Serperior had genuinely encountered one in this very stream before.

It was just that a year had passed since then; who knew whether that golden Magikarp had swum elsewhere or had already evolved.

With all sorts of possibilities running through his mind, Luo Mu greatly enjoyed this process of seeking an "answer."

However, since this concerned Gyarados, Luo Mu couldn't resist asking one question.

The answer received from the Hint System was—

【Just fish your fish!】

Luo Mu: "."

While speechless, his hands did not stop, skillfully continuing with the preparations.

It wasn't long before the bait, mixed with Hu Hu's secret fermented fruit juice, was thrown into the stream in clumps.

This immediately attracted quite a few swimming fish, along with several wild aquatic Pokémon.

Seeing the fish gather, Luo Mu's mouth twisted askew; as he cast his line, he hurled a threat.

"Today, I'll catch enough grilled fish for the entire farm!"

Three hours later.

Among the school of fish gathered near the fishing spot, most had visibly grown a size fatter, their bellies round and taut, crying out that they couldn't eat another bite.

The news that the Immortal of Chumming had come to distribute alms instantly spread throughout the entire stream at tremendous speed.

Many wild fish and aquatic Pokémon that had been starving for a long time due to the frozen stream heard the news and came rushing, each gorging themselves to their fill.

Wonderful, we're finally full!

Ignoring Luo Mu, whose face grew redder and redder as he stood before the densely packed school of fish yet stubbornly failed to catch a single one...

The fish carried on with their revelry, paying him no mind.

After all, Luo Mu was an angler with principles; even though he knew a single scoop with a landing net would yield a huge harvest, he simply refused to do it.

Luo Mu could only stare fixedly at the float, muttering in his heart with vicious intent.

Damn fish, just bite already!

At that moment, a streak of golden light suddenly appeared within the gaps of the fish school.

(End of Chapter)