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

Although this Steel Donphan looks like a robot, since it can grow larger by using Secret Plants, the structure of this part of its body is probably not much different from that of an ordinary Pokémon.

Gardevoir's healing fluctuations and full recovery potion worked very well for it.

…………

This iron track was powerful enough to be a king-level creature. It took nearly ten minutes of healing before the red cross on its electronic panel turned into pixelated eyes.

After waking up, it crashed for a while, seemingly using a relatively outdated CPU to process the information before and after it fainted. Only then did it realize that the same group of people had both revived and knocked it unconscious. Then, dragging its badly damaged and weak body, it assumed a fighting stance.

Clearly, this state was suppressed by Sinbu without even needing Gulerton to intervene.

Four ribbons stretched and retracted on its four legs, and the iron rut, which had just struggled to get up, immediately performed a split for everyone.

Xia Chen squatted down and asked with a smile, "I have a few questions for you. If you can satisfy me, I will not only let you go, but also leave you some flowers."

As he spoke, he plucked a secret plant and waved it in front of the iron tracks.

It took several seconds to understand the meaning of Xia Chen's words, and several more seconds to make a choice. It nodded blankly in response, replying in a mechanical voice, "Hmm—(Understood)"

Good, can communicate, and isn't too stupid.

Xia Chen nodded in satisfaction, then asked, "My first question is, when did you come into this world?"

"Pause—(...sixty years ago.)"

Xia Chen raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, it was invented earlier than the so-called time machine.

He continued, "My second question is, how many years into the future is your original world?"

After a two-second pause, Donjia replied, "Don—(...nine hundred and forty years later.)"

Tsk, after nearly a thousand years of development, artificial intelligence is not even as good as the 3D dragon invented more than ten years ago?

Outrageous.

"The third question: Could you briefly describe what the future world will look like?"

"Punch—(...It was an advanced world of towering skyscrapers and highly developed technology.)"

After saying this, Tie Zheji shut his mouth, and the air fell silent.

"...That's it?"

Xia Chen tentatively asked a question, but Tie Zheji remained silent as if his brain had crashed.

Somewhat unwilling, he asked him about his life in the future world, its origins, and so on, but he received almost the same meaningless answers as before.

Okay, he's got brains, but he doesn't seem to be very bright.

…………

"You knew it all along, didn't you? This guy isn't very bright."

After the interrogation ended, Xia Chen complained to Gu Leton.

"How would I know? One of us comes from ancient times, and the other from the future."

Therefore, while Leighton's answer sounded reasonable, Xia Chen felt that it was not that simple.

This guy definitely knew from the start that he wouldn't get anything out of me.

The time travel occurred exactly one thousand years ago, like a simple computer program, a complex mix of contradictions...

What secrets are hidden in the iron tracks, and even in the entire paradoxical spirit?

Xia Chen ultimately did not receive an answer.

Although he didn't get a satisfactory answer, Xia Chen left a few secret plants for Tie Zheji before letting it leave.

With his two purposes for searching for iron tracks fulfilled, he prepared to leave the scorching desert.

But before leaving, there was one last thing to do—to escort the charcoal servant home.

He said he was going home, but according to Tanjiro himself, he had been living as a spirit for a long time.

This is a tradition of their tribe.

"Tsk, such a good opportunity, are you sure you don't want to seize it?"

Beneath him, Gu Leton used his spiritual sense to counter Xia Chen's instigation.

In order to catch up with this red line, it even reduced its flight speed considerably.

Xia Chen was quite speechless. "...Why do you seem to like it so much?"

Therefore, Leighton did not hide his appreciation and replied, "Don't you think it's great? It has a strong will and integrity, and it has something very special about it. Most importantly, you must have noticed that look in its eyes, right?"

Xia Chen hesitated for a moment, but did not deny it.

The deep, calm eyes of Tan Xiaoshi when he first woke up, like a frozen pool that had stood for millennia, were truly unforgettable.

In addition, there was that ever-present urge to subdue it...

I've decided. I'll bring this up with him when I go downstairs in a bit!

Just as Xia Chen made up his mind, at that moment, the little servant Tan Xiaoshi sitting on his shoulder was also pondering a question—

How can we exchange some of the secret plant that Xia Chen obtained?

…………

No matter how long the journey, it will eventually come to an end.

Therefore, Leton quickly flew to the location mentioned by Charcoal Servant, a fairly ordinary, desolate place in the scorching desert.

After putting them down, Gu Leton pulled Pipa aside to chat, leaving Xia Chen and Tan Xiaoshi plenty of space.

Whether they want to say goodbye or something else, that's none of its business.

As the sun sets over the vast Gobi Desert, a human and an elf speak at the same time.

"I have something to say..."

"Click... (I want to be with you...)"

An inexplicable tacit understanding led the two to smile at each other, and Xia Chen said, "You go first."

Tan Xiaoshi didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Crack—(Could you share some of what you gathered earlier with me? Although I don't have anything of equal value to exchange with you right now, I will definitely repay you in the future.)"

His tone was very certain, and his empty promises sounded like he was stating some kind of truth.

After careful consideration, Xia Chen replied, "It's possible, but not too many. I need to use these for research on transplantation and cultivation. I can only give you... ten plants at most."

Mr. Tan: "..."

Ten plants? Is that not many?

This guy is being way too generous...

However, a skilled alchemist would never have too many medicinal herbs. After accepting them, Tan Xiaoshi solemnly promised, "Crack! (Within ten years, I will repay you handsomely!)"

Xia Chen smiled and nodded, not taking it too seriously.

I just found this guy's refined manner of speaking rather endearing.

With their demands resolved, it was Xia Chen's turn to speak about his own affairs.

"What I was trying to say was, would you consider... leaving here with me?"

Even though he had captured so many Pokémon, Xia Chen was still a little nervous saying this.

To avoid any misunderstanding from Tan Xiaoshi, he added, "Of course, it depends on you. Even if you don't want to, those secret plants are still yours."

The unusually short Tan Xiaoshi remained silent, seemingly seriously considering Xia Chen's invitation.

…………

Do you want to accept it?

Tan Xiaoshi was seriously considering this question.

His "medicine dust" consciousness is still slowly fading, and he has now completely lost his memories of the time before he was one year old.

Fortunately, at that time I was just an ignorant baby in swaddling clothes, and I didn't have any memories to retain.

But the memories would fade eventually, and he was worried about his main consciousness, an elf, surviving alone in the desolate, scorching desert.

Finding a trainer is something that will have to be done sooner or later.

Would Xia Chen be the right candidate?

Tan Xiaoshi thought he was.

They are powerful, resourceful, and have a peaceful, non-violent nature.

This is the judgment made by "Yaochen" with sixty years of keen insight during the limited time he spent with Xia Chen.

But you can know a person's face but not their heart. What if Xia Chen is a beast in human form?

This kind of thing is not impossible; I've encountered such beasts myself.

Although from a purely profit-driven perspective, Xia Chen had absolutely no reason to do such a thing, who can predict the future?

The consciousness of "Medicine Dust" didn't want to create a problem for its future self, so it came up with a good solution.

He looked up at Xia Chen and asked, "Ka La? (If I told you that one day I'm destined to leave, would you still want to recruit me?)"

Tan Xiaoshi knew that this question was a bit rude. What normal Pokémon would think of leaving before it has even been captured?

Therefore, he didn't have high hopes that Xia Chen would agree.

Asking this question was his last thought; if Xia Chen could really agree, then it would be a matter of fate between the two of them.

Tanjiro thought that no normal trainer would accept this condition, but unexpectedly, the voice he heard was...

"Of course, let's not talk about that. It's okay if you don't want to go into the Poké Ball."

Tan Xiaoshi looked up in surprise, only to see Xia Chen squatting down and looking at him.

"Everyone is just a passerby in another's life. If you feel it's not right, you can choose to leave at any time."

Tan Xiaoshi silently returned the gaze, a glint of light in his eyes.

Given his experience, it's far from enough that he was shocked by Xia Chen's words.

What truly touched him was Xia Chen's attitude of treating elves with almost the same equality as humans.

Both his interactions with the elves along the way and his recent words confirm this.