I run an orphanage in the Pokémon world.

"Rogue Crocodile, what's wrong?" Teng Shu looked at Rogue Crocodile with concern. The other man took a breath, calmed his rapid breathing, picked up a book, flipped through it, found something inside, and then spread it out in front of Teng Shu.

Teng Shu paused for a moment. He saw a ginkgo leaf inside the book cover. It had turned yellow, but it was very well preserved, so it was still quite beautiful.

"This is... a gift for me?" Teng Shu looked at the message in front of him and guessed what Hunhun Crocodile meant.

The crocodile nodded, then gently plucked the ginkgo leaf and handed it to the vine.

Teng Shu looked at the ginkgo leaf in his hand with complicated emotions. He had received ginkgo leaves before. Back in college, there was a ginkgo avenue on campus. When his roommates said goodbye after graduation, they gave him a ginkgo leaf and solemnly said that the message of the ginkgo leaf was perseverance, wishing him to become a CEO and marry a rich and beautiful woman soon.

However, at the time, Teng Shu just thought that the son who had been arguing with him for four years about who was the father and who was the son wanted to save some money on transportation.

The ginkgo leaf that Tengshu used is now kept as a book cover in a dictionary.

I never expected to receive another ginkgo leaf.

"Thank you, Crocodile." Teng Shu squatted down and rubbed Crocodile's head. Crocodile smiled happily and then held up the book.

Teng Shu glanced at it.

This is a book with both human and Pokémon writing. It's possible that some Pokémon might have a need for reading, so they created a bilingual version. However, when Dawn donated these books, she mentioned that they were books that wouldn't sell. Tengshu thinks that there might not be many Pokémon in the Pokémon world who actually need to read.

Even in Tengshu's orphanage, only Akai and Hunhun E liked to read books.

However, at this moment, Teng Shu's attention was still focused on the book, because there wasn't much written in it, just a line drawn in different colors.

I want to watch gym battles.

Of course, this doesn't mean that there is such a line in the book. Rather, it means that Hunhun Crocodile drew on different words and finally put them together to form this sentence.

"You want to watch the gym battle?" Although Tengshu already knew what Crocodile meant, he was still not sure, so he looked at Crocodile and asked.

The crocodile nodded.

Teng Shu was a little confused. Why was that?

Tengshu naturally knew about gym battles. After all, gym battles were a very mainstream and common thing in the Pokémon world. Some people even enjoyed going to gyms to watch others battle, and some even chose certain people as their idols and followed them to watch their battles.

The most successful in this regard is Leon, who is known as the strongest champion. He has extraordinary popularity in the Galar region. Every time Leon appears in the battle arena, the crowd is huge and the venue is packed. Leon's registered social media accounts have more than 100 million fans in the Galar region alone.

However, what Tengshu didn't understand was why Crocodile would want to watch gym battles.

"Miss Joey, what do you think of Crocodile..." Teng Shu looked at Joey Yun. Teng Shu still needed to ask Miss Joey Yun about whether Crocodile could go to the dojo, since Miss Joey Yun was the professional when it came to medical matters.

However, Teng Shu felt it might be risky, since the situation of the crocodile was quite special. The little guy had a heart condition, and just as it trotted over, it reduced its lifespan by ten minutes.

“...Theoretically speaking, it’s not possible, because gym battles can easily stir up a person’s emotions. If the emotions are too intense, the burden on the heart will also increase.” Qiao Yiyun shook her head.

Emotions can also affect the heart. Some people feel their heart beat very fast when they are angry, and this is the reason. Fear can also cause the heart to beat very fast.

Pokémon gym battles are also a way to stir up people's emotions, and they are often easy to do so because of the atmosphere.

“But…” Qiao Yiyun looked at the scoundrel. The scoundrel had heard her conversation with Teng Shu, but its eyes still held a hint of persistence and determination.

Qiao Yiyun remained silent.

Teng Shu pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew Qiao Yiyun's concerns, but he also saw the determination in Hunhun E's eyes.

"So... how about the gym battle at the Evergreen City Gym?" Teng Shu asked gently. Hearing Teng Shu's words, Crocodile nodded happily, looking very excited. Teng Shu patted Crocodile's head.

Let's just consider this fulfilling one of the scoundrel's last wishes.

Qiao Yiyun turned her head away and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Teng Shu took out his phone and checked.

You can find battle information for all the gyms in the Pokémon world, but you can only find the more important battles, such as battles against elite trainers or battles featuring gym leaders. As for other general battles, you usually have to go to the gym to see them; there is no special reservation information available.

Teng Shu glanced at it and then saw a battle reservation notice from the Evergreen City Dojo.

[Viburnum City Gym Leader Giovanni vs. Holder of Six Gym Badges]

"Tomorrow?" Teng Shu glanced at the match time and immediately made a reservation.

The battles with the gym leader are the hardest to book, but Teng Shu was lucky enough to get one.

"Hey Crocodile, how about we go watch the fight tomorrow?" Teng Shu asked softly.

The crocodile nodded happily.

Chapter 135, 17:32:20

Teng Shu stood in his office, checking his system permissions. Immediately, a 3D model of the welfare home appeared in his eyes, with detailed annotations for various areas.

Currently, all the Pokémon in the Pokémon League have their own dedicated living areas for each of these types, making them very suitable for the lives of Pokémon of those types.

“So this…” Teng Shu looked at the model drawing in front of him, his mood somewhat heavy.

Teng Shu came here this time to plan the cemetery.

Kroc doesn't have many days left to live. After watching the gym battle tomorrow and fulfilling Kroc's wish, Tengshu will probably need to report to the League and submit a death report.

Then, Rattata and Bellossom are both very old. Although they gave up their hunger strike after being persuaded by Locke, they are not suitable for adoption because of their age. The League's opinion is very clear.

The Tengshu Welfare Home is responsible for the care of Rattata and Bellossom, and the League allocates a special fund every month for the care of these two Pokémon.

"Three residents?" Teng Shu looked at the model in front of him, pondering where to place the cemetery. But the more he thought about it, the more agitated he became. He then canceled the model and returned to his seat.

Separation from life and death is a difficult obstacle for all living beings, not only for humans but also for Pokémon.

Teng Shu scratched his head in frustration. He opened the system shop and looked at the list of redeemable items again, but after looking around, he found that there was nothing that could save the life of the rascal crocodile. Even if there were, the price was enough to upgrade the medical pod.

“That’s…” Teng Shu stood by the window and glanced outside. He had only been looking casually when he saw Grandpa Xingzhen pulling weeds.

“Grandpa Xingzhen.” Teng Shu walked over, intending to chat with the old man and clear his head.

"Dean." The old man looked at Teng Shu with a smile. He seemed to be in a better mood now. It was probably because he had been busy teaching Dark Raven how to plant trees. Having something to do made him feel much better.

Teng Shu paused for a moment, then praised the old man's tree-planting skills before leaving.

After all, the old man had just seen off his wife and son, and Teng Shu felt it was better not to go and add fuel to the fire. Otherwise, if he made the old man feel bad, then Teng Shu would be guilty of a terrible sin.

"Dean, you seem to have something on your mind." Locke popped out and looked at Teng Shu. Teng Shu was so startled by Locke that he trembled all over. After calming down, he glared at Locke with annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" Teng Shu looked at Locke, who was holding a bowl of tree fruit smoothie and eating it in big gulps.

However, this place is not a medical room, and it is also a little distance from the main gate of the orphanage. Teng Shu couldn't understand how Locke appeared here. Wasn't he worried that the scent of the berries would attract some Bug-type Pokémon?

"I heard about the rascal crocodile from Miss Joey in the infirmary," Locke said calmly, scooping up a tree fruit with a spoon.

Teng Shu fell silent.

Locke glanced at Tengshu, then very naturally pulled out a green sofa, leaving Tengshu stunned. Where had Locke hidden such a big sofa?

Before Teng Shu could even ask a question, Locke pressed him down onto the sofa. Teng Shu sat on the sofa, looking at Locke in a daze, and then saw Locke bring out a red chair and sit down next to him, holding a pen and paper.

"Dean, after learning about the situation of the scoundrel, did you feel irritable, depressed, uncomfortable, or frustrated?" Locke's voice became very magnetic at this moment, and Teng Shu even suspected that Locke might have minored in broadcasting or hosting before.

"Yes." However, Teng Shu still admitted it. He was not one to shy away from problems, and because of the scoundrel incident, Teng Shu was indeed not in a good mood.

“In most cases, people have this kind of emotion when facing the imminent death of their loved ones.” Locke’s voice carried a hint of comfort. Teng Shu raised an eyebrow, but still didn’t say anything. Moreover, Teng Shu noticed that Locke’s green sofa, although the color was a bit strange, was indeed very comfortable to sit on.

It has a feeling of being a memory material.

Teng Shu chatted casually with Locke. It was indeed uncomfortable to keep such things to himself, but he felt better after talking about it. At least Teng Shu wasn't so upset anymore.

“Dean, birth, aging, sickness, and death are things that no one can avoid. Instead of being upset, it’s better to accept them calmly.” Locke comforted Teng Shu, who nodded, knowing this himself.

After a questioning session that could be described as either a consultation or casual conversation, Locke left with his sofa. Teng Shu watched as Locke packed the sofa into a bag, then vacuum-compressed it into a very small bag, which he casually stuffed into his pocket.

Seeing this, Teng Shu could only say "Awesome!"

Amidst Teng Shu's anxiety and restlessness, the peaceful day at the orphanage passed. Teng Shu did not see any suspicious person arrive. Hei Yan seemed unconcerned about Teng Shu's situation and had no idea where the other party had gone.

That evening, Teng Shu sat in his bedroom, looking at the night outside the window, when he noticed a scarf floating outside – it was a gift from A Kai.

Teng Shu opened the window, and the scarf gently fell into his hand.

Although Akai didn't say anything or write any inspirational quotes, Tengshu still sensed that Akai was trying to comfort him.

"Thank you, Kai." Teng Shu touched the woolen scarf, and then he noticed that there was a little person on the scarf, as well as several rough Pokémon heads. Among them, Teng Shu saw Primeape, Murkrow, and Krookodile.

Teng Shu smiled with relief, then put the scarf away. He also put the ginkgo leaf that the scoundrel had given him into the book "If I Could Live".

The next day, Teng Shu still got up to wash and prepare food as usual, then went to the kitchen to cook. Teng Shu calmly chopped the vegetables and then made a bowl of beef noodles.

"Locke, you're still the same as ever." Tengshu smiled and looked at Locke, but then Tengshu noticed that there was another Pokémon in front of Locke, but because of Locke, Tengshu didn't see it at first glance.

It's a scoundrel.

The crocodile, holding a bowl, stood in front of the vine tree and even smiled when he saw it.

[17:32:21]

[17:32:20]

Life is counting down.

Chapter 136 Farewell

If one day you were to die, what would you want to do?

Tengshu didn't know what he would do, after all, everyone makes different choices before death, but Tengshu knew what the rascal Crocodile was going to do.

The rascal crocodile stood at the first spot to get his food, and after finishing his meal, he even ran over to Tengshu's side to wash the dishes. Although Tengshu initially disagreed, seeing the rascal crocodile's persistent gaze, Tengshu finally sighed and agreed.

Watching the thug crocodile intently washing the dishes, Teng Shu fell silent. He stood beside the thug crocodile and slowly washed the dishes as well.

After washing up, Crocodile ran off to help Grandpa Sachima clean up the house, learned how to care for fruit trees from Murkrow, and even tried to train with Bagon and Infernape. Seeing this, Tengshu broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stopped Crocodile from doing so.

What an international joke.

Given the current condition of the crocodile, let alone exercising, even jogging would be a strain on its heart.

The crocodile's heart was like a rotten engine, providing the last bit of power to the body, and it could break down completely at any moment.

"Krookodile, didn't you want to watch the gym battle? I've booked a gym leader battle for today." Teng Shu gently patted Krookodile's head, then diverted its attention. Upon hearing this, Krookodile immediately became interested, excitedly tugging at Teng Shu's clothes, and the countdown decreased by three minutes.

Teng Shu pursed his lips. He wanted to say something, but looking at the thug crocodile in front of him, he found himself unable to say anything.

This was Crocodile's last wish.

"Come on, I'll take you there, and we can do some sightseeing along the way." Teng Shu patted Hunhun E's head, and Hunhun E nodded obediently. Teng Shu smiled and then pushed his bicycle out.

"Dean." Qiao Yiyun stood beside Teng Shu, looking at him, holding a bag in her hand.

Teng Shu glanced at it.

The bag contained a heart rate monitoring device.

Teng Shu wanted to say he didn't need it because he could see how much longer the Crocodile had to live, but looking at Joey Yun's eyes, Teng Shu still put on the heart rate monitoring device and installed it on the Crocodile.

The crocodile quietly let the vines hold the device, then curiously watched the ripples on the device rise and fall, even reaching out to poke it.

"Let's go, Crocodile." Teng Shu gently patted Crocodile's head.

The crocodile happily nodded and was then lifted into the bicycle basket by Tengshu. Tengshu got on the bicycle, hesitated for a moment, then got off and started pushing it instead.

As they walked out of the orphanage gate, all the little ones came to the entrance and stood there watching the figures of Teng Shu and Hunhun E.

Krookodile seemed to sense something, turned its head and looked around, and then saw a group of Pokémon standing behind it.

The fiery monkey, the adorable cat, the dark crow, the teddy bear, and even the newly joined Rattata and the dwarf flower were there, with the two cat bosses quietly squatting at the entrance of the orphanage.

High up in the orphanage, in the attic, a strangely shaped Pokémon stood by the window looking this way. Seemingly noticing the thug's gaze, Kai waved his hand.

It seems like they are saying goodbye.

The crocodile smiled and waved to his companions.

Teng Shu pushed the cart and left the welfare home.

The natural disaster had passed, and although winter had arrived, the sun was still shining in Changqing City. Teng Shu touched the scarf around his neck and then pushed his bicycle toward the Changqing City Dojo.

Teng Shu didn't ride his bike. He didn't know if riding would bump into the crocodile. After all, there was a bumpy road from here to the Evergreen City Dojo. If the bumps caused the crocodile to lose a few minutes of its lifespan, that would be a terrible sin.

Along the way, the crocodile looked around curiously, his eyes filled with a hint of longing.

Teng Shu took out his phone and glanced at it. The phone was empty; there were no email notifications. The organ match for the scoundrel was still unsuccessful.

[11:3:11]

Time continued to pass slowly, and even as Tengshu pushed the cart, the pace did not slow down.

Once they arrived at the highway maintained by the Alliance, Tengshu got on his bike. However, after feeling the temperature, he took off the scarf around his neck and wrapped it around Crocodile's body.