[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham":3,"chapter-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-651":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Pokemon: The Reemployment of a Paldea Former Champion",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2324668,4546,"Chapter 651: The Solid Bird","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-651",651,"\u003Cp>A hot-spring egg is definitely not something to feed to Pikachu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, most Pokémon eggs are far tougher than ordinary people imagine, able to withstand moderate heat and cold, and aren’t nearly as delicate as one might think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Luo Mu dared to place the Pokémon egg in a wooden basin and enjoy the hot spring alongside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot spring, hot spring—this temperature isn’t nearly enough to cook the egg into a hot-spring egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps before it was entrusted to him, the egg had already been soaked in hot springs by the old woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Yet remembering what Boni had just said, Luo Mu couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, and instinctively sank deeper into the hot spring, leaving only his head wrapped in a towel exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps right now, some member of the so-called “village gossip network” is secretly watching to see if he’ll treat the Pokémon egg like a hot-spring egg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, since it’s come to this, let’s just eat some snacks first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shivering slightly, Luo Mu decided not to scare himself and immediately began unwrapping the Kamui Senbei the old woman had given him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of tearing the packaging instantly drew the attention of the Pokémon enjoying the hot spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Luo Mu looked up again, he found all those greedy little rascals staring at him with longing eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, Pikachu’s gaze was the most intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Charizard was there too, but it refused to enter the water, choosing instead to battle its own appetite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu had no idea where this stubbornness of its came from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the Pokémon’s watchful eyes, Luo Mu pulled out the first piece of Kamui Senbei from the packaging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the swirling white mist of the hot spring, he examined the Kamui Senbei in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike traditional Japanese senbei, Kamui Senbei had a pale beige color, with faint caramel-colored spots on its surface, a rough texture, and covered in tiny pores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was immediately clear how different it was from the ordinary senbei he’d eaten at Xue Zhong’s home in Beishang Village—hard, smooth, and glossy with oil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flavor was also significantly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary senbei blended rich soy sauce, seaweed, and roasted rice aromas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kamui Senbei retained the basic roasted rice scent and a light soy-based savory note, but leaned more heavily into caramel-like sweetness and a faint alkaline taste reminiscent of baking soda.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This difference determined their distinct textures and flavors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was purely salty; the other balanced savory and sweet into a refreshing bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu took a bite of the Kamui Senbei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first sensation in his mouth was a light, airy crispness, similar to puffed snacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it touched his tongue, tiny bubbles seemed to pop like a dance, reminiscent of carbonated drinks but far milder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, since Kamui Senbei was not fried, its balanced sweet-salty flavor left almost no greasy aftertaste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clearly a snack perfectly suited for the elderly residents of Kamui Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its flavor lacked the punch of ordinary senbei, but carried a pleasant after-sweetness that made you want another bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Delicious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu’s eyes lit up, offering a simple, unadorned, yet utterly honest evaluation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the piece in his hand and wiping his hands with a towel, Luo Mu began distributing the Kamui Senbei to the hungry Pokémon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Why didn’t he share it with them first, and taste it himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he didn’t want to favor one Pokémon and upset the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to be the first to try it himself—if they couldn’t compete for first bite, there’d be no jealousy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On shore, Charizard watched this scene, a flicker of envy crossing its eyes, leaving it feeling strangely unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, as if remembering something, the envy vanished, replaced by firm resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Kamui Senbei given by the old woman was completely gone, devoured by Luo Mu and the Pokémon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu had also poured himself several cups of oolong tea, which paired surprisingly well with the senbei.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was just a snack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After soaking in the hot spring until satisfied, Luo Mu changed into the inn’s robe and went to the front desk to order a full table of Kamui Town’s specialty dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the inn had a restaurant with space for Pokémon, Luo Mu had no intention of bringing them there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eating in the room was safer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While ordering, Luo Mu ran into Boni.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This noblewoman had no sense of being the innkeeper, sitting among a crowded dining room, lowering her head to eat a steaming bowl of extra-spicy ramen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like Groudon, a pure Ice-type Trainer who feared both heat and cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a pure Ice-type Elite Four member from a frigid region, Boni had a strikingly opposite love for all things hot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To train herself, she traveled far to the Hoenn region, where the climate was nearly tropical year-round, claiming it was to toughen herself and her Ice-type Pokémon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though most areas here were unsuitable for Ice-type Pokémon to live.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She loved steaming spicy ramen, sweating profusely as she ate, believing it was a form of self-discipline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——This was what Boni had told him herself when she grabbed him and insisted he join her for a bowl of ramen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boni also said she felt even this level of training was far from enough; in terms of resilience forged under extreme conditions, she was no match for Genji, who had spent decades braving the open sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, despite being an Ice-type Elite Four, she didn’t defeat Genji with type advantage like Koga or Juan did against their rivals in the Kanto region, blocking them from the Champion title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of her battles with Genji ended in defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boni had felt her progress as a Trainer had stalled for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never broken through herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, seeing Luo Mu—who hadn’t even sent out his main Pokémon—defeat Genji, her emotions were deeply complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She saw in him a brilliance rivaling Wallace and Juan, and even surpassing them after the Lathys incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the blurred photo of his silhouette fighting the powerful ancient Pokémon had deeply inspired her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So she owed Luo Mu thanks—he’d helped her make up her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only after learning from Dr. Londo that Luo Mu would be staying here that she came out of hiding to appear at the inn she’d entrusted to others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d even considered quitting being a Trainer entirely and returning home to inherit my family’s estate and title.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But now, I might finally have the courage to try what I’ve always avoided—training my body and spirit in places I’ve never dared to go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—And then, after the Sootopolis Contest ends in a month, challenge the Pokémon League again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boni set down her chopsticks, the giant bowl of ramen now drained of every last drop of broth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her flushed face was clearly from the spicy ramen, Luo Mu somehow glimpsed beneath the Ice-type Elite Four’s icy exterior a heart burning fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Genji’s Dragon Pokémon had spent decades at sea, gradually forging an unshakable physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her own ice would surely freeze them solid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was only in her thirties or forties—this was the time to fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if finally releasing a long-held burden, Boni smiled at Luo Mu with relief: “In short, tomorrow I’ll begin my training. Mount Lava isn’t challenging enough—my destination this time will be the desert.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for listening to me. Stay here as long as you like—your lodging and meals are free. I hope this is even a small token of my gratitude.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being unexpectedly granted free lodging by Boni, Luo Mu returned to his room after ordering his meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without keeping them waiting, a lavish feast was gradually brought into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The long table was piled high with food, its enticing aroma filling the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After feasting with Ledian and the others, Luo Mu took the Pokémon who wished to go and weren’t too conspicuous to stroll through Kamui Town’s night streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowded, bustling streets nearly scattered them; when they finally escaped the crowd, Luo Mu was still shaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrifying. This is what tourists are like?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t him walking—he was being pushed by the tide of people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, he’d rather stay in the inn and soak in the hot spring—he’d never set foot on Kamui Town’s night streets again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pokémon had all fallen asleep, but Luo Mu, likely due to drinking too much oolong tea, felt no sleepiness at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only lie flat on the soft bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, counting Sheepas in an attempt to fall asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, a faint rustling came from the courtyard outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sounded like water?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without waking the Pokémon piled around him, Luo Mu quietly got up, slid open the door, and walked toward the source of the sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——The sound came from the hot spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if realizing something, Luo Mu slowed his steps, then used a large rock placed at the corner to conceal himself as he peered into the hot spring pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stranger? A wild Pokémon? Or a domesticated one that wandered in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu had considered all these possibilities—but he never imagined he’d see this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——Charizard, who had stubbornly refused to enter the pool earlier, now had most of its body submerged in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though surrounded by water, its folded wings still blazed with bright orange-red flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But none of that was the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Involuntarily inhaling sharply, Luo Mu finally understood why Charizard had refused to enter the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Pokémon he’d brought to Hoenn, Ledian, Pikachu, Ninetales, and Mailin were all covered in fur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fur gets wet—it becomes limp and drooping, unless it’s specially water-repellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the wings of Lugia’s Milotic when wet, today Raichu’s impressive mane received the same treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though its fur looked disheveled when soaked, Raichu’s agile and explosively powerful physique more than made up for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ninetales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with its fluffy fur drenched, its aura remained undiminished, its proportions perfectly balanced and aesthetically flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the two small Pokémon, Smeargle and Vileplume, there was no need to mention them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Luo Mu stared at the Magmar in the hot spring, his expression grave, he pondered long and hard—and could think of only one word to describe Magmar now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though every feather was soaked, Magmar’s bulk showed no sign of shrinking—in other words, it was solid!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This directly contradicted Magmar’s usual claim that it only looked fat because its feathers were fluffy!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu dared not make a sound; he feared that if Magmar realized he knew its secret, it might fly into a rage and kill him to keep it hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided to take this secret to his grave—and once back at the farm, he’d make Magmar start dieting again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying these complicated thoughts, Luo Mu barely slept all night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, he wandered the sights of Kainyan Town with faint panda-like circles under his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu relaxed in Kainyan Town for three full days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During that time, he received calls from Nimo, Shinji, and Jingxiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other end, Nimo excitedly asked if Luo Mu was still in Larus City; Luo Mu immediately denied it, sadly replying that he was currently in Kainyan Town, completely opposite their travel route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring Nimo’s sudden disappointment, Luo Mu, relieved he’d cleverly avoided her challenge, asked about Shinji and Jingxiang’s progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Nimo, who had already begun training her second team, their next priority was the Hoenn League’s Saffron Conference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their answers greatly pleased Luo Mu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had successfully defeated the twin Gym Leaders, Xiao Feng and Xiao Nan, in a Double Battle and won the Verdant Badge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they only lacked the Saffron Badge from the Saffron Gym to complete all eight Hoenn badges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shinji planned to find a small island near Verdant City for training, preparing thoroughly before heading to the final Gym.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu remembered Ash saying in Larus City that he had already passed the Yinyu Gym in Yinyu City and was on his way to the Verdant Gym.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d only detoured after hearing about the Battle Tower in Larus City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, despite Ash’s continuous travels through Hoenn, Shinji and the others—having returned to Paldea for over half a month—were actually moving faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After encouraging them once more, Luo Mu ended the call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, he had full faith in his students—he never doubted they could collect all eight badges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than worrying whether Shinji and Jingxiang could pass Adam’s trial, Luo Mu was concerned about something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By now, it should be just a matter of days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Ash had left Larus City and headed straight for Verdant City,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the plotline where Team Aqua and Team Magma stirred chaos, reviving Groudon and Kyogre, must be drawing near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But considering the distance between Kainyan Town and that region, and recalling how in the anime the disaster only affected one small island,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Mu thought that, barring any unforeseen factors, he had no need to interfere in such a minor matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Kadabra should already have infiltrated Team Magma; with him around, protecting those kids wouldn’t be a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might as well just enjoy his vacation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, Groudon and Kyogre wouldn’t really fight—they’d just exchange a few energy blasts, briefly serve as Ash and Pikachu’s mounts, then go their separate ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to seek out Lugia and Dragonite, and perhaps visit the Kanto waters to track down the Giant Gyarados.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2266,"2026-06-20T17:11:50.049Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ceb8710ed77c3f28f86b0c093decb6b75003075503b23e0fa6c02b8fe076228f","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-652","pokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-chapter-650",695,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fpokemon-the-reemployment-of-a-paldea-former-cham-cover.jpg"]