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

Xia Chen took out his phone and saw that the number was saved as Claver. He was slightly surprised. Did he get news about the Money-Gathering Spirit so quickly?

Upon answering the phone, Xia Chen greeted, "Hello, Principal."

But what came through the phone was Clavel's questioning voice, "I heard you were speeding around campus on my Motorcycle Lizard this morning?"

Xia Chen sighed helplessly, "...That's true."

Although he was unaware of the school's rules on a subjective level, he did indeed speed.

"My motorcycle lizard is a bit mischievous, please bear with it."

Xia Chen had expected the principal to reprimand him or even take back the Motor Lizard, but to his surprise, the principal changed the subject and apologized on behalf of the Motor Lizard.

"Yes, thank you for your concern."

Although Xia Chen knew this was the principal's way of winning people over, he still felt much better.

"Also, I heard from Nemo that you've also participated in the [Eliminate Stars] operation. Regardless of the outcome, I want to express my gratitude to you. The school's chairperson, Ms. Yuci, is also very concerned about this matter and will provide you with assistance if necessary."

Also, is it compassionate?

Xia Chen raised an eyebrow. He had done his homework before coming to Padiya, and Ci was the current Padiya champion.

"Okay, thank you, Champion Ye Ci."

"One last thing, we've found a lead on the whereabouts of the Money-Seeking Spirit."

Claver knew how to keep people in suspense; he only revealed what Xia Chen cared about most at the very end.

"Yes, I'm listening. Please go ahead."

"Several classmates have seen traces of the Money-Gathering Spirit in Niangguang City, but it was a Money-Gathering Spirit in its walking form, which ran very fast. They didn't have any intention of taming the Money-Gathering Spirit, so they ignored it."

"I understand, thank you for the clue."

"You're welcome. Just give me a call if you need anything. Have a pleasant trip to the Parthian region."

After hanging up the phone, Xia Chen fell into thought.

Is it Niango City...?

…………

Although he had obtained a clue about the Money-Seeking Spirit, Xia Chen did not immediately set off for Niangguang City.

Because of their passion for coins, money-seeking spirits will dwell in crowded places.

Niangguang is the second largest city in the Padiya region, and also the most technologically advanced and commercially vibrant city.

Unless something unexpected happens, the spirit that seeks wealth will basically not leave this auspicious place. It doesn't matter whether it goes a few days earlier or a few days later, so it's better to spend a few days preparing properly.

The Money-Gathering Spirit is small in size but fast, especially when it's running away, thanks to its [escape] ability.

When the time comes, it will just crawl into any manhole cover that can be seen on the roadside, and then it will be nowhere to find it.

Therefore, Xia Chen felt that a plan to subdue them should still be made. If it could be done by strategy, that would be even better.

So, for the next few days, Xia Chen stayed in his dormitory preparing his plan to capture the Money-Gathering Spirit and to prepare for the Stardust Operation.

Add to that daily training, occasional battles and exchanges with Nemo, and other trivial matters, and before we knew it, it was March 6th, the day the Orange Academy [Treasure Hunt] event began.

On this day, thousands of students will set off from school to embark on adventures throughout the Padiya region in search of their own treasures.

Of course, this activity is not mandatory; some students will still choose to stay at the college to continue their academic studies, but they are still a minority.

Mingyi and Nemo are naturally two of the majority.

Mingyi will begin her gym challenge journey in Bright City, which happens to be the same route as Xia Chen, while Nemo will head west alone. Xia Chen guesses that she is going to challenge Pina.

The three said goodbye in the square at the school gate and went their separate ways.

The distance between Tsukidai City and Niangguang City is not too far, only two or three hundred kilometers.

Therefore, Xia Chen and Ming Yi did not take a plane or train directly, but instead set off on motorcycles.

Having been in the Padia region for more than half a year, Mingyi naturally followed local customs and captured a Moto Lizard as a tool spirit.

The Motor Lizard is much more useful than a motorcycle. Not only can it be ridden on relatively rugged and steep roads, but riders can also interact with it to relieve boredom.

Of course, it's not all good. The biggest drawback of the Moto Lizard is its high fuel consumption. It needs to consume almost half a box of energy cubes to travel 100 kilometers, so it's really not affordable for non-trainers.

…………

The southeastern coastal region of the Padiyah area is mostly flat and hilly, with smooth roads.

So even without rushing, but rather traveling at a leisurely pace, Xia Chen and Ming Yi still managed to "leave Zhuotai City in the morning and arrive at the City That Never Sleeps in the evening."

There's something very strange about the Elf World: one moment you're walking through a desolate wilderness teeming with elves, and the next you're in a bustling city full of skyscrapers.

This contrast is particularly strong in Niangguang City.

In early spring, night falls early in Padiya. Before five o'clock, the sky is already dark, but the direction of Niangguang City is completely opposite.

With blue and white as the main colors, interspersed with neon colors, the light shines on the horizon, creating a futuristic scene full of technological style before the sky has completely darkened.

This is Niangguang, the richest and most technologically advanced city in the Padiya region.

Walking through the streets of Niangguang City, Xia Chen could clearly see the difference between this city and Miarei City, which had a similar urban style. The city here had a stronger cultural atmosphere.

It's strange, though. This characteristic should be something that Miare, the capital of Carlos, should have, but it's actually Nimura that feels more welcoming.

The observant Xia Chen quickly discovered the reason: city promotional posters and videos were everywhere, on the streets, alleys, and even on the LED screens of high-rise buildings.

The content is very simple; the whole thing is about a cute girl acting adorable.

Are you all ready?

On a large screen at the bustling street corner, a cute girl with loose-fitting clothes, light blue hair, and two small magnets on her head that look like hair accessories suddenly appeared.

"The eye-catching electric grid captures your gaze; who is telling the story? It is I who tell the story!"

Good morning, good afternoon, good night, hello Ciao~

As the girl moved, the little magnet on her head also bounced, and the bangs tied into a bow on her forehead swayed lively, making her look extremely cute.

The video continues with the adorable Ms. Kiju introducing things related to Koukou City.

The dry content became easily absorbed thanks to her energetic voice and cute yet natural-sounding gestures.

After watching the video once, Xia Chen, who had stopped to watch, roughly understood the characteristics of Niangguang City and the attractions available for tourists.

…………

"Miss Qishu is so cute. No wonder Niangguang City hired her as its city ambassador. Her lively and cute style matches the city perfectly."

Mingyi, who watched the video with him, remarked with these thoughts.

"So-so, I feel it's not as cute as you."

Xia Chen gave a nonchalant comment, then turned and continued walking forward, seemingly without the slightest hint of lingering attachment.

"Huh, really?"

Mingyi followed closely behind, though she said that, her eyes were full of smiles.

Girls often don't care whether what they say is true or false; what they want is just an attitude.

Xia Chen, who understood this principle well, affirmed, "Of course, Qi Shu is not my type."

However, as he said this, he was mentally rewatching the video of Qishu.

Qishu is so cute, especially her shark teeth, hehehe...

It's decided, I'm going to challenge the Brewmaster Dojo!

Despite this thought, Xia Chen was certainly not in a hurry to challenge the dojo as a newcomer.

Strolling through the unique and dazzling night view of Brewlight City, Xia Chen and Ming Yi followed the guidance of Rotom on their mobile phones to a highly-rated local elf restaurant for dinner.

Travel is really just about the same things: scenery, food, and unexpected encounters.

The Elf Restaurant is not a restaurant that uses elves as ingredients, but rather a restaurant that specializes in food customized for elves to meet their physical needs.

Most of them are customized according to the Pokémon's attributes, and some high-end Pokémon restaurants even specify the individual Pokémon.

Xia Chen's elves were quite special, so he ordered food according to their respective attributes.

This restaurant has a great location, situated on the upper floors of the Niang Kwang Tower, the tallest building in Niang Kwang City.

Through the glass curtain wall beside you, you can easily enjoy a panoramic view of Niangguang City.

The food was delicious and the scenery was beautiful, so everyone was very satisfied with their first meal in Nyang Quang City.

Xia Chen also enjoyed this dinner simply as a diner, rather than as a chef.

However, the good mood didn't last long. Halfway through the meal, a commotion from nearby caught the attention of the other people in the restaurant.

With his keen hearing, Xia Chen was able to discern the entire content of the commotion.

…………

"Sir, the amount you paid for the meal is indeed insufficient. As you can see, the total for you and your Mastiff Godfather is 2,386 Elf Coins, but we only received 2,000 in banknotes..."

The man, dressed like a restaurant manager, spoke politely.

The person he was arguing with was a tall young man with a hiking backpack and medium-length, light gray hair.

Perhaps he harbored resentment, which made him quite agitated.

He loudly repeated, "I clearly gave you two thousand four hundred, two thousand in paper money and four hundred in coins, which I put in your automatic payment machine!"

Perhaps to showcase the advanced technology of Nimura City, this restaurant does not use the common manual or elf-assisted payment methods, but instead has a dedicated robot responsible for taking orders, serving food, and processing payments.

Xia Chen, who was eavesdropping on the gossip, secretly shook his head. Wouldn't it have been much simpler to just implement online payment...?

Hey, this seems like a good business idea. Let's steal that treasure from our past life and name it Meow Meow Payment.

That won't work either. This kind of software requires a huge user base and relationships with banks and alliances, which is troublesome and difficult to manage. Forget it...

Xia Chen was lost in thought when the argument on the other end continued.

The manager said softly, "We've checked that machine; it's not damaged, so it's unlikely to be there..."

The man with the backpack interrupted loudly, "So you think I skipped out on the bill, right? I don't need those four hundred elf coins. I can easily pull out forty thousand or four hundred thousand right now. I just want justice!"

Xia Chen thought to himself, "Goodness, this scene is almost like Liu Zi eating cold noodles..."

"But the truth is, we really didn't receive those four hundred coins..."