Chapter 239: Eevee

"Sigh, I'm exhausted…" Huo La flopped onto the grass, the back of his head resting on soft blades, and looked up at the sun sinking westward.

The orange‑red afterglow spread across the sky, warming his cheeks, yet his whole body ached no less, and he could only let out a deep sigh.

Since parting from Xiao Zhao, for most of the day he and his Cyndaquil hadn't stopped moving.

When they met wild Pokemon they battled, threw Pokeballs at suitable ones, used the unsuitable ones for training, and ended up using every Pokeball he had and the ones Xiao Zhao gave, leaving not a single empty ball.

He turned his head to the side; the Cyndaquil lay on its four paws, its belly rising slightly, half its tongue sticking out, clearly exhausted, lacking even the strength to nuzzle his cheek.

Huo La's gaze fell on the floating system interface; after the system booted, basic functions were available, and the Cyndaquil's Attribute Panel appeared clearly before him:

Pokemon: Cyndaquil

Gender: Female

Level: Lv15

Su Xing: B

Status: Fatigued

Nature: Slow

Attribute: Fire

Ability: Blaze (when HP is less than 1/3, Fire‑type move power increases by 1.5×)

Height: 0.5 m

Weight: 7.5 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Tackle (Proficiency 8%), Leer (Proficiency 2%), Smokescreen (Proficiency 15%), Flame Fang (Proficiency 1%), Ember (Proficiency 1%), Electric Flash (Proficiency 1%)

Improvement Count: 0

Except for the Flame Fang gifted by Bei Li La, the other moves are inherited by the Cyndaquil and come with level‑up, their proficiency pitifully low.

Huo La rubbed his forehead, thinking, "I'll go back to ask Aunt Bei for skill training; I wonder how much it'll cost. Fortunately, in the past three years I've helped around the village and assisted the Galaxy Team with data, saving over a thousand Pokemon Coins, which should hold out for a while, otherwise it'd be a real hassle."

With that in mind, he pushed off the ground to sit up, patted the Cyndaquil's little head, and said, "Let's go, little buddy, it's time to return to base; don't keep Dr. Laventon and Xiao Zhao waiting."

The Cyndaquil let out a whimper, slowly got up, wobbling to his feet, then Huo La bent down, scooped it into his arms, and they headed toward the Dazhi Slope base.

At the base, Dr. Laventon paced anxiously, while Xiao Zhao stood nearby, brows knit, occasionally glancing toward the entrance, his face full of worry.

"Dr. Laventon, why hasn't Huo La returned yet? Could he have run into danger?" Xiao Zhao couldn't help but ask, his voice trembling slightly.

Dr. Laventon stopped, shook his head, his expression growing serious: "I can't say for sure… Though the Obsidian Fieldlands are near Zhuqing Village and have a Security Corps outpost, the deeper areas host many aggressive wild Pokemon. Huo La is clever, but after all he only has a single Cyndaquil…"

Even though Huo La was the "amnesiac" the villagers rescued three years ago, in those three years he's been with the Galaxy Team daily, sorting data, running errands, and has formed bonds with everyone, so Dr. Laventon and Xiao Zhao genuinely worry for him.

"Shall we go look for him?" Xiao Zhao said, about to step out.

"Wait a bit longer!" Dr. Laventon grabbed her, "Wait another ten minutes; if he still hasn't returned, we'll inform the Security Corps and search together. He should know his limits and won't have gone too far."

Just as the two grew increasingly anxious, a familiar figure appeared at the Dazhi Slope entrance.

Huo La, cradling the Cyndaquil and shouldering a bulging backpack, ambled over, a faint weary smile on his face.

"Huo La! Are you alright? You really scared me!" Xiao Zhao rushed over, scanning him from head to toe, fearing he was hurt.

Huo La smiled and shook his head, setting the Cyndaquil down: "I'm fine, I'm fine—just been busy battling, catching, and even training moves, lost track of time, but luckily I didn't miss the appointed hour."

Dr. Laventon also hurried over, his gaze landing on Huo La's heavy backpack, and asked curiously, "From what you say, did you catch a lot of Pokemon?"

"Yeah, I'm out of balls," Huo La said, taking off his backpack and setting it on the ground; when he unzipped it, it was packed with Pokeballs, piled densely.

Dr. Laventon peered in, his eyes widening instantly, face full of astonishment: "Really? You actually used up every Pokeball?"

"Yep, when I found a suitable one I gave it a try, and before I knew it they'd all been used up," Huo La said nonchalantly.

Dr. Laventon crouched, casually picking up a few Pokeballs to examine, his mouth agape in surprise: "Kid, you really impressed me! Tell me, which Pokemon did you catch?"

Huo La glanced at the Pokeballs in his pack and listed off, "Murkrow, Bidoof, Meowth, Spinarak, Round Mage, Budew, Rockruff, Paras… basically every Pokemon you can find around here, I didn't dare go deeper."

"Goodness, you've swept through all the nearby Pokemon!" Dr. Laventon clicked his tongue in amazement, "So which one did you keep as your second partner?"

Huo La gave a mysterious smile, pulled a single Pokeball from his pocket, and waved it before them: "I want this one."

"What's this?" Xiao Zhao leaned in, eyes full of curiosity as he stared at the Pokeball.

Huo La clenched the Pokeball, smiling mysteriously: "Hehe, it's a secret!"

Back at the cottage in Zhuqing Village, Huo La didn't even take off his jacket, collapsing onto the bed lined with Pokemon pelts, a wave of soreness flooding his body.

The Cyndaquil on his shoulder still had some energy, though no longer as lively as during the day; it slipped down his collar onto the bed, its little head rubbing against his pocket, occasionally nudging with its nose, emitting soft chirps as if urging something.

Huo La turned sideways, rubbed its fluffy head, and laughed helplessly: "You little guy, so exhausted yet still restless—do you want to bring it out to play together?"

The Cyndaquil immediately halted, lifted its round eyes to look at him, and nodded vigorously, full of anticipation.

"Alright, alright." Huo La couldn't refuse, reached into his pocket and took out the specially set‑aside Pokeball, fingertips brushing its cold shell, "Let it out; you two can bond, because you'll be partners fighting side by side from now on."

He pressed the Pokeball's release, and as red light flickered, a petite figure sprang from the ball, gently landing on the bed.

When the glow faded, a cute, plump Pokemon appeared before his eyes.

Its body was chiefly brown, fur soft and sleek; the neck and fluffy tail glowed with a creamy sheen, as if wrapped in thick plush; its legs were short and slender, pink paw pads on its three toes looked adorable, long ears drooped on either side of its head, and its shiny black nose twitched slightly as it curiously surveyed the unfamiliar room.

It was, unmistakably, an Eevee!