Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

"Hello Mr. Xia Chen, this is a gift from Mr. Vladali. He had some business to attend to today and left Miare City, so he couldn't see you off. He asked me to convey his best wishes for your journey."

A woman with short purple hair and purple lipstick stood in front of the room and handed Xia Chen a square box.

The woman wasn't wearing the Flame Team's orange-red uniform, but Xia Chen recognized her by her striking features; she was Claire, one of the core members of the Flame Team.

Xia Chen was somewhat surprised that Vladali had directly sent his subordinates to deliver gifts to him.

After all, errands are something ordinary team members can do, and Claire's arrival fully demonstrates how much Vladali values ​​her.

Winning people's hearts is indeed a basic skill for all villains.

Xia Chen naturally took the box and casually asked, "Thank you, may I ask what's inside?"

Claire, with her stylish makeup, smiled mysteriously. "These are insignificant little gadgets developed by our Fladali Research Lab, but they are all things that can make the world a better place. Each one comes with an instruction manual, so I won't go into details."

Is "making the world a better place" your Flare team's catchphrase?

Xia Chen thought to himself, but said thank you aloud, "Then please thank Vladali for me, and thank you for bringing these things over."

Claire covered her mouth and chuckled, "What a cute little guy. Bringing you in is the wisest decision the boss has made this year."

Xia Chen's lips twitched. Only three days had passed this year, so this shouldn't be considered a compliment, right?

…………

Portable tents, sleeping bags, extendable bicycles, automatic stoves, and storage spheres.

After seeing Claire off, Xia Chen returned to his room and examined the gifts that Vladali had sent. He found that they were indeed just as Claire had described, things that would make travel more convenient.

These items all appear to be made of the same material, which is very light yet very strong, somewhat like a reinforced version of carbon fiber.

Although he couldn't understand why these things could be packed in a box that wasn't very big, Xia Chen had already experienced the advanced technology of the Elf World in the anime.

Compared to the outrageous inventions of Clifton and Team Rocket, accepting these not-too-outrageous technologies isn't so difficult.

To be fair, Vladali is a really sweet guy; these are exactly the things Xia Chen needs most before embarking on his journey.

In particular, this storage ball, which looks similar to a Poké Ball, can hold nearly four cubic meters of items, reducing a lot of troublesome things on the way.

So after lunch, as if going out to buy groceries, Xia Chen rode the high-tech bicycle sent by Vladali and officially began his trip in the Carlos region.

As Xia Chen drove north along Highway 14, the bustling city of Miarey receded into the distance. When he stopped for the first time to drink water and rest, he looked back and saw only the faint outline of the entire concrete and steel city.

The surrounding scenery also shows almost no trace of human activity.

Such is the nature of the elven world. Perhaps it is the experience of coexisting over thousands of years that has allowed human settlements and elven settlements to maintain their own living spaces without a clear dividing line.

Of course, most wild Pokémon are drawn to strength. If a trainer who comes to the wild has enough power to defeat it, it will not mind following the trainer on the path of becoming stronger together.

Xia Chen originally didn't plan to catch any specific Pokémon on this trip, but he made an agreement with the professor that he would send six wild Pokémon to him every month through the Pokémon Center's Pokémon transfer machine.

Roughly speaking, this is my job.

Xia Chen fell into deep thought as he watched a small, weak creature slowly wriggling in the grass.

I wonder if the professor will be angry if I send him six pink butterfly insects next month.

Despite his words, Xia Chen didn't rush to catch Pokémon at the start of his trip. After a short rest, he continued riding his bicycle northward along the road.

…………

"The power of science is truly amazing!"

Watching a Rubik's Cube-like metal block slowly unfold into a sophisticated stove half the height of a person in front of him, Xia Chen couldn't help but sigh.

After cycling all morning, the sun was high in the sky, and it was time for lunch.

Xia Chen followed the map and found the lakeside of Mirror Lake, where he prepared to rest and cook.

It's a bit far from Route 14, but it's a well-known tourist spot in the Carlos area. As a collector, Xia Chen naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to check it out.

After releasing Milotic, which hadn't left its Poké Ball to breathe all morning, into the lake, Xia Chen instructed, "Come back for lunch in half an hour."

"Whoosh!" Milotic, who hadn't swum in the open water for many days, readily agreed and then excitedly plunged into the lake.

Ibrahimovic silently circled the high-tech stove twice. She knew the enormous ambition beneath Vladali's kind exterior, and she still wanted to carefully inspect the things he sent her before she felt at ease.

"Eevee, I'm going to cook now. Keep an eye on Ralts, don't let her get bullied by wild Pokémon."

Eevee turned to look at Ralts chasing after Viva, and pursed its lips, thinking, "How childish."

However, the next second, Ralts got angry because it couldn't catch up with Violet. It shot out a psychic attack, and Violet, which had just been mocking Ralts, flapped its wings in vain, but was still pulled back by the powerful psychic force.

"Ralu~ (Why didn't you just let me see you sooner?)"

Two small, white hands pressed down on the wings of the white butterfly. Ralts, having gotten her wish, wore a faint smile as she observed the beautiful patterns on the butterfly's wings.

Ibrahimovic: "."

Ralts, who grew up under Xia Chen's and his own noses, seems to have a bit of a violent tendency.

With that kind of aura and those swift movements, she wouldn't believe it if you told her that Ralts hadn't defeated over a hundred Pokémon!

…………

Half an hour later.

Xia Chen discovered that before cooking, there were only four mouths eager to be fed, but after cooking, there were two more mouths to eat.

One is a Violet friend that Ralts just made, but this friend seems a bit timid and looks shy. If you didn't know better, you'd think she had suffered some kind of injustice.

The other was a cherry fish that came ashore with Milotic and relentlessly followed Milotic.

Milotic impatiently lashed at her with its tail, trying to shoo her away, but the Cherry Fish wasn't angry at all; its pink body only made it stand out more.

It seems like she has some masochistic tendencies.

Xia Chen remained silent. Although you two are indeed from the same egg group, the size difference between you is significant.

A child driving a big vehicle?

In short, on the first day of his trip, Xia Chen captured two Pokémon in just the time it took to stop for a meal, completing one-third of his monthly task.

Fortunately, neither of these two elves is particularly large in size or appetite, and Xia Chen's current food reserves are more than enough to keep them occupied.

The sun shines brightly, and all is quiet.

The boundless blue lake surface merges almost seamlessly with the distant sky, making it difficult to distinguish which is the sky and which is the water.

Perhaps this is where the name Mirror Lake comes from?

After finishing his meal, Xia Chen leisurely lay on the grass by the lake, gazing at the beautiful scenery where the water and sky met.

Cherry fish swam closely in the lake following Milotic's movements, while Ralts and her newly met timid friend played nearby.

Ibrahimovic lay beside him, sometimes gazing into the distance, sometimes stealing glances at him, lost in thought.

Perhaps it was because the sunlight was so bright, but she soon snuggled up to herself and fell asleep.

Xia Chen suddenly wanted to take out his phone and take a picture of everything in front of him.

Just do it!

I secretly took pictures of Milotic in the lake, troubled by its high charm value; Ralts catching a Violet on the grass; and Eevee curled up in a ball and sleeping beside me.

Xia Chen posted his first update of the new year on Pixiv.

“They may never be as carefree as they are today, so of course we have to record it.”

"January 4, 2023, in the Carlos region, at Mirror Lake."

Chapter 123 Karuni, I understand your pain!

Even the most beautiful Mirror Lake is just an insignificant stop on the journey. In the afternoon, Xia Chen returned to Route 14 and headed north.

Mirror Lake seems to be a dividing line in the terrain; before it are plains, and after it are high mountains.

The Alphard Mountains stretch for thousands of miles across the northeastern part of the Carlos region.

Xia Chen's current location is just the starting point. The place where Xerneas awakened, which he wants to explore, is located between Baike City and Yingxue City in the southern part of the mountains.

According to his planned itinerary, it would take at least a month to arrive.

Winter nights come early, especially in the Carlos region of northern Donghuang.

It was not even five o'clock, but the sky was already ablaze with the colors of sunset.

Just like the rest areas along national highways or expressways in my previous life, this world is the same.

Rest areas often include gas stations, small elf centers, and places like restaurants and hostels.

And in this world, wherever there are people, there will always be battles between elves.

This rest area, located at the beginning of the Albil Mountains, is quite large, and many trainers who are preparing to explore the mountains will stay here for a night.

As the saying goes, the battle begins the moment the trainers' eyes meet.

In the rest area where there is little nightlife, the battlefield is the best place for restless trainers to unleash their full potential.

After dinner, the open-air battlefield, illuminated by eight powerful spotlights, was already packed with people.

There are no referees here, and the rules are the same as the basketball courts Xia Chen visited in his previous life: whoever loses goes down.

After finishing dinner at the restaurant, Xia Chen and Yi Bu strolled over here to digest their food.

With nothing to do, I'm here to watch a battle, not to listen to music in a brothel.

However, both are normal recreational activities that bring joy to people's minds and bodies, and there is essentially no difference between them.

…………

In the tiered stands, Xia Chen watched the match intently with several Pokémon.

Because most people were queuing in the player area, there were only a few people in the huge audience area, so Xia Chen rudely released Milotic, which could take up several seats.

Leaning against Milos's smooth body, Xia Chen comfortably watched the show.

As for going up and fighting himself, he had no such idea.

This is the entrance to the Albery Mountains. Most of the people coming and going are senior elite trainers. This kind of "battlefield" doesn't distinguish between levels. If you have the ability, then go for it.

Looking at the menacing Panda and Bricaron fighting so fiercely in close combat, Xia Chen knew he didn't have that ability.

"Huh, a Shiny Ralts?" A clear, melodious voice came from behind.

Xia Chen didn't pay much attention. When he was out and about, several people would express surprise at this every day, including one or two pretty women who would use it as an excuse to chat him up.