Pokémon: Who told him to come out of Pallet Town!

Chapter 32: The Misty Forest

At their feet, the man with the middle parting looked at Pikachu's tail with envy.

It came over carrying its little blanket, raising its tail and aiming it at Natsume.

"Pikachu pikachu!"

Coach, I want to learn this!

"What are you doing?" Seeing the man with the middle parting suddenly stick his butt out at him, Natsume pondered for a moment and then carefully raised his foot.

"Pikachu—"

The middle-parted hair flew up.

If someone offers themselves up for free, they might as well kick them while they're down.

The man with the middle parting stood up, clutching his buttocks, his eyes brimming with tears.

Oh no, what if the trainer's elbow is pointing outwards?

Behind him, Natsume's voice followed one after another:

"To digest the specially formulated steel reagent, you must double your daily exercise, otherwise your joints will become stiff."

The man with the middle-parted hair suddenly perked up his ears.

"Could it be that the middle-part hairstyle is finally changing its lazy look?"

Xiao Zhi looked at the other person with hopeful eyes.

"Pi—" He covered his head with a small blanket, indicating his polite refusal.

"Ugh, what's wrong with him? Natsume-nii, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Xiao Zhi pointed at the middle-parted hair, seemingly puzzled.

"Why bother with it?"

Natsume took the sandwich from Brock and looked at Satoshi with some confusion.

"Ah... it's just that the middle-part hairstyle makes him too lazy, and he's lazy in training, etc..."

Ash was a little unaccustomed to Natsume's indifferent attitude.

"Hmm... I mean, Natsume, aren't you also going to participate in the Quartz Conference?"

Beside her, Xiaoxia chewed on her sandwich and mumbled a reply.

"Oh, my previous Pokémon breeding philosophy was to let nature take its course and respect the Pokémon's nature," Natsume said without turning his head.

"Before? And now?" everyone asked curiously.

"Now I've discovered that if you do this, the Pokémon you breed will be both lazy and greedy."

"Since you know this, why do you still indulge it like this?" Xiaoxia asked, looking puzzled.

"Because I understand." Natsume slowly took a bite of his sandwich and began to speak:

"Respecting nature does not mean indulging it, but rather finding ways to unleash potential."

Suddenly, Natsume's gaze sharpened, and his entire demeanor changed from its previous gentle nature.

"Do you know?" Natsume said mysteriously.

"Have you ever seen the Magikarp's hibernation period before it leaps over the Dragon Gate? It will curl up in the deep pool for three whole seasons, its scales dull like pebbles."

"Natsume-kun, do you mean the guy with the middle parting is about to become stronger?"

"No, Natsume must be saying that it has now found the potential direction for a middle parting hairstyle!"

Unlike Ash and Misty, who usually argue, Brock seemed to have benefited from the conversation, since he had also spontaneously learned a lot about Pokémon breeding.

Compared to a complete novice, Xiao Gang understood better what Natsume was trying to express, and he couldn't help but ask:

"Natsume, can you tell me about the future development direction of the middle-part hairstyle? I'm very curious."

"There is no future in sight."

Xiao Gang: "..."

"So, where are we going next?"

Suddenly, Xiaoxia and Xiaozhi stopped arguing and turned to look at Natsume and Xiaogang.

"The next place is Kanoki City, which is relatively close."

Xiao Gang stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

"Alright, let's go to Drywood City then! A trip on the luxury cruise ship Saint Anne will definitely be worth the price."

Xiaoxia's eyes showed a look of longing.

"Okay... let's go!"

Xiao Zhi wiped his mouth and stood up full of energy.

......

......

......

A thick fog blanketed a forest.

"Natsume-nii, where did you bring this for us?"

In the thick fog, Xiao Zhi looked around, somewhat confused.

"Slurp~ I don't know, but the navigation says there's a school nearby."

Beside it, a small vase on a white tablecloth—afternoon tea.

Natsume sat on a chair that appeared out of nowhere, holding a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Pikachu!"

The man with the middle parting also imitated Natsume, holding a glass of juice in his hand and taking a sip.

"Pikachu—Pull!"

Great product, highly recommended!

"It's getting dark. Aren't you two in a hurry at all?" Xiaoxia looked at Natsume, her fists clenched.

"There's no use in being anxious. You might as well sit down and rest."

Natsume sat upright in the chair, looking relaxed and content.

"Ah!!! What's wrong with you? Xiaogang has been in charge of our logistics, he hasn't given up... Xiaogang, what are you doing?"

At the other end of the table, Xiao Gang also held a cup of coffee, took a sip, and a look of bliss appeared on his face:

"These are morning mist coffee beans from the summit of Mount Coronet in the Sinnoh region." As he spoke, Brock took a sniff, his face showing even greater delight.

"Slowly roasted by volcanic geothermal heat, it possesses a unique smoky mineral flavor—a truly rare and exceptional ingredient that you absolutely shouldn't miss!"

"That sounds really impressive." Xiao Zhi, who was looking for directions, looked over curiously.

"Natsume-kun, give me and Pikachu a drink too."

"I want one too."

After hearing Xiaogang's conversation, Xiaoxia curiously moved closer.

"Kids should drink less." With that, Natsume handed each person a glass of juice.

"Ju Piaopiao Juice, produced in Orange Islands..." Xiaoxia's lips twitched as she looked at the cup of juice with the price tag still intact.

"Alright, we've finished drinking. Now, what about dinner?"

"Pikachu!"

A few sips of juice downed Xiao Zhi's throat, but he was even hungrier.

"I don't know. Natsume said I could stay at the school cafeteria or stay overnight, so I didn't do it."

Xiao Gang held his coffee, still looking completely absorbed.

"Where is the school? Natsume...where is Natsume?"

Xia suddenly realized that Natsume was nowhere to be seen at the other end of the table, leaving only the middle-parted-haired man staring blankly at the empty seat.

In the thick fog, faint lights could be seen.

If you get close enough, you can roughly tell that this is a building.

On the top floor of the building, in an office with floor-to-ceiling windows, two figures are facing off.

"Natsume, my Pokémon mimicry system broke down recently, so I'm sorry I can't lend it out!"

The white-bearded old man stood up from his office chair, looking at the fair-skinned, seemingly harmless man standing opposite him with a look of formidable apprehension.

[Ding! The fog mimicry training has ended. The next training will be snow mimicry. Please prepare accordingly.]

The campus broadcasts resounded throughout the land. As a gust of wind swept in, the mist that had enveloped the entire forest suddenly dissipated, revealing a vast campus area clearly to outsiders.

"Cough cough."

The white-bearded old man coughed twice, making the atmosphere slightly awkward.

"Don't worry, Dean Jim, I've left Oak's lab and am currently traveling."

As Natsume spoke, he swiped a handful of coffee beans into a small tin can on the table.

Jim ignored Natsume's subtle actions and instead looked at him with suspicion.

"So? What are you here for?"

"I am..." Natsume began, but Jim interrupted him before he could finish speaking:

"No students, no facilities, and most importantly, no Pokémon!" After thinking for a moment, Jim realized this wasn't entirely accurate, so he added:

"Even with Professor Oak's and the League's paperwork, it's not enough!"

"Don't be so nervous, Dean Jim," Natsume said, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

"I was just passing through here. I had nowhere to sleep or eat, and my stomach was growling with hunger."

Natsume is extremely pitiful.

"real?"

Despite numerous precedents, Dean Jim remained skeptical.