Pokémon, but cultural invasion

Chapter 163 A Stormy Night (5K)

As the train passed through the fields, the fiery red sunset gradually faded.

The little ravens dragged the plant roots and hurriedly retreated into their burrows. The Master Yuan, unusually, stopped using his antennae and ceased buzzing.

A swarm of bees flew low and hurried back to their nest, while the common shuttlecock grass family, usually found in the fields, was nowhere to be seen.

After getting off the train, there was a vast expanse of rice paddies beyond the gravel-paved railway.

As the sun sets and the wind rises, the rice paddies ripple majestically, revealing humans and Pokémon busily harvesting crops in the fields.

"There are three harvests a year, and it's time to harvest the mid-season rice."

In order to save the harvest before the torrential rain, rice farmers and their entire families pitched in, in addition to using small harvesters with roaring engines.

The constantly moving Mongoose Slash unleashed a "Combo Slash," flashing white light as stalks of rice fell one after another.

Big Tongue followed behind, his tongue curling up bundles of rice and loading them into the truck bed.

"Let's go."

Quanshu gently reminded Nazi, who had never seen the harvest before, and she snapped out of her daze and quickly followed.

At the fork in the road with a wooden sign that reads "Tingxiang Welfare Home," a truck emerged from the welfare home's path.

The logo on the vehicle was that of the "Super Power Engineering Team," indicating that they had left after receiving a notice to stop work due to severe weather.

This made Izumi worry about whether the Pokémon housing at the Tingxiang Welfare Home was completed.

The wall has a base of gray and white bricks and stone, an iron railing about two meters high, and a newly cultivated flower bed at the foot of the wall that has not yet been planted with flowers.

Through the gaps in the railings, the Pokémon's pet house is mostly complete, but it seems the windows haven't been sealed yet.

The windows were covered by a dark blue tarpaulin.

The gate was unlocked. Quanshu pulled on the iron gate, and the creaking sound of the wheels turning was particularly jarring in the quiet evening.

Lanxing had just finished feeding him dinner when she saw him and asked in surprise, "Quanshu, why are you back?"

"I'm still a little worried."

But the orphanage seemed to be fine, so Quanshu could only say, "It seems I was overthinking it."

"Nazu!"

"seed!"

"Goo-"

Smelling his scent, Oddish, Bulbasaur, Pidgey... one Pokémon after another poked their heads out from the doorway of the hut.

After confirming it was him, they swarmed around him.

"It's been a long time, everyone." Quanshu squatted down, patted each of their heads, and then went into a small wooden house to check on them.

"Since there wasn't time to renovate the house, I prepared some cushions, mattresses, and blankets."

Lanxing felt helpless about the sudden downpour, saying, "If only we had more time to prepare."

Before the power was on, Lanxing placed a lantern in each hut, and the Pokémon sat around the light source.

Upon seeing the spring trees enter, they consciously made way for them.

Quanshu chuckled softly, "Thank you, but I won't sit."

"I've gathered all the Pokémon from the forest behind the mountain here. As for the other Pokémon—there's water to hide in the lake, and the caves won't get wet, so there's no need to worry."

I'm so tired, so alone

The dean's words made Quanshu feel ashamed; she had been prepared far more thoroughly than she had imagined.

Are you going back to Golden City later?

"It should be returned...wait..."

Izumi's phone vibrated, receiving a notification that trams and trains in Golden City were suspended.

"The maglev train has stopped operating, so there's no way to go back, and besides..."

The pitch-black night sky was torn apart by lightning that pierced through the north and south, illuminating the thick clouds. He murmured, "This rain seems impatient."

Within ten minutes, a strong wind blew up in the courtyard.

The wind howled, tearing the forest outside the courtyard, but no rain fell, and lightning flashed frequently across the gloomy sky.

Anyone could see that a heavy rain was about to crash down.

"Then let's go inside. I'll go prepare Miss Naz's bed."

...

The television, which is rarely used in the living room, was turned on; the old-fashioned CRT screen inevitably had white, noisy spots.

"The attic on the second floor is a bit small, only enough for Leier. Miss Naz, you may have to sleep in the living room."

Lanxing paused for a moment, then added, "Or you can sleep in Quanshu's room."

"Because his room is bigger?"

Naz held up the porcelain cup. "I have no objection."

Lanxing listened to her reply, her eyes flickering slightly, as if she were deep in thought.

Quanshu said irritably, "How could the room I slept in when I was a child possibly be big?"

"I'll sleep in the living room; there's an electric heater anyway."

He lifted Ibrahimovic's nape from his knee: "This guy's with me too."

No sooner had he finished speaking than several deafening claps of thunder were heard, and then the rain suddenly intensified.

The sky seemed to have been torn open with countless holes, and dense rain poured down, weaving a huge, gray curtain of rain that enveloped everything between heaven and earth.

A strong wind whipped up rainwater, splashing it against the glass windows and causing them to vibrate violently.

The brightly lit hall was filled with a peaceful atmosphere.

"Speaking of which, the Ghost Festival is coming soon. I'm planning to burn some paper money for the old man later. Do you want to come?"

“I am not a descendant of Master Quan, so my claim is not legitimate.”

Lanxing kept an eye on the commotion in the courtyard and said, "But let me prepare the hemp stalks and candles for guiding the way."

With the TV program playing in the background, Naz barely spoke, leaving only him and the headmistress to chat casually.

...

"Buy?"

Eevee, who was engrossed in playing on her phone, suddenly jolted awake. She was playing a game of stealing vegetables when the game showed that she had been disconnected.

After fiddling around for a while without a signal, Ibu had no choice but to switch to another game and open Minecraft to relieve the boredom.

"Zizi-"

A short while later, the television also went on strike, and the screen was filled with black and white static and noise indicating no signal.

Quanshu recalled the news reports that the torrential rains in places like Hualan and Shenhui had also caused communication disruptions.

"No signal, perfect for going to bed early and waking up early."

He yawned.

The remaining two showed no sign of moving.

"Miss Dean, aren't you going to sleep?"

"The Pokémon at the orphanage are afraid of thunder, and I'm worried something might happen, so I'm going to bed late."

Quanshu looked at Nazi and asked, "What about you? Aren't you sleepy yet?"

She stammered, "...Not yet."

But he had just noticed that Naz's eyelids were drooping, and she was obviously very sleepy.

"Don't push yourself. Nighttime is boring. Go to sleep if you're sleepy."

"...All right."

After being persuaded by Izumi, Naz finally gave up her inexplicable insistence and walked into the bedroom wearily.

The remaining two people in the hall were still awake.

...

As night deepened, the torrential rain showed no signs of abating or stopping.

Ibu fell into a deep sleep in my arms.

Quanshu sat on the folding low bed, yawning, and said, "I'm going to sleep now. Lanxing, you should go to sleep early too."

"Okay, I'll turn off the living room lights now."

"No need to turn it off. The Pokémon will feel safe seeing the light on in the cabin."

He understood the Dean's daughter, and stopped her with a single sentence.

The torrential rain and the quiet inside made it feel as if the world had shrunk to just a small wooden cabin.

Quanshu lay in bed, tossing and turning.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked, "What did you think of us going to the movies together that day?"

"The movie was very interesting, and the popcorn was delicious."

Lan Xing turned her head, her amber-like, crystal-clear eyes fixed on him: "But that's not what you wanted to ask, is it?"

"The Dean's predictions are truly prophetic."

Quanshu sat up abruptly, carefully choosing her words: "That day you told me... you didn't think you could find happiness..."

"Why?"

He asked the question that had been put aside at the time.

"This kind of thing shouldn't need a reason."

"This is different from what most people think, isn't it?"

Lanxing lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a light shadow under her eyelids.

"Everyone defines themselves differently and has different expectations. My expectations are lower than most people's, that's all."

"That's going to be difficult."

Quanshu sat up straight and said, "Because I hope you can be happy, and this is also the old man's wish."

"..."

"Don't worry about me. You have your own life to live, and your own goals and dreams."

Lan Xing's voice was neither loud nor soft: "There's no need to waste your energy and slow down for me."

"And what about you? Do you plan to spend the rest of your life in this orphanage?"

The headmistress remained silent about her own problems, instead encouraging him to grow upwards, which almost made Izumi laugh out loud.

"I like the Pokémon at the orphanage; it's my job."

Quanshu's smile faded, and he said, "...Are you really planning to spend your whole life in an orphanage?"

"why not?"

Lanxing countered, "What's wrong with spending your whole life pursuing what you love?"

"The premise is that you truly love it..."

Quanshu scratched his cheek and sighed, "I'm more worried that you have no goals or dreams, and that you're afraid of an uncertain future, which is why you're standing still."

“I have seen many people who confine themselves to a specific cage, claiming that they are unwilling to step out of their comfort zone.”

"A minority of people have clear goals and dreams; the majority are confused in reality."