chsdbacks Chapter 273 Lord Huoyan...?
Chapter 273 Lord Huoyan...?
Chapter 273 Lord Huoyan...?
Yes, that's right...
""
The campfire smiled faintly, seemingly posing no danger whatsoever. "I...haven't experienced this kind of...atmosphere in a long time, so I just want to...feel it, is that alright..."
"1
This woman who arrived suddenly liked to pause frequently when she spoke.
At this moment, Ze Shu noticed the situation and came over. He looked at the woman who called herself "Campfire".
She had short pink hair and wore a red hooded cape that seemed to symbolize the Lava Team.
However, the hood lacked the horns that signify the Lava Team's officers, making her resemble Little Red Riding Hood.
Beside her, Ninetales stretched out its smooth and long bright yellow tail, making the entire Pokémon appear both dignified and beautiful.
It's clear that its trainer has taken very good care of it.
It not only focuses on its strength, but also on its "charm".
I imagine that if Zeki's Vulpix or Xiaolan's Little Tail were to evolve, they would look like this.
In the distance, the Six-Tails devoured the snacks scattered on the camping mat, completely ignoring the approaching Nine-Tails, as if its eyes were only on the food in its little paws.
But when the little tail next to the six-tailed fox looked at the nine-tailed fox, its eyes lit up and it showed an admiring "Wow!" expression, just like a child seeing a beautiful idol.
"If it's just about joining in, we certainly wouldn't mind," Ze Shu said.
"...Thank you." Campfire smiled slightly.
They didn't exchange more than a few words.
It seemed just as the campfire had said: she simply wanted to experience this atmosphere.
After joining in, Campfire simply sat with her knees drawn up in a corner of the grass, silently and seemingly blankly watching the Pokémon happily skipping rope in the distance, without disturbing them much.
Amidst the cheers of Pokémon jumping rope, Zeju looked strangely at the quiet campfire.
Based on its appearance and name, he had every reason to be suspicious of this campfire.
She is "Fire Goose," one of the "Three Fires" executives of Team Lava in the game.
"What are you standing here for?" Higana asked curiously as she approached.
Ze Shu then asked in a low voice, "Didn't you infiltrate the Lava Team? Do you know this person?"
Higana glanced at the campfire in the distance, where the occupants were hugging their knees and hadn't noticed them. Her eyes were glazed over, and then she said, with a self-assured but low voice, "Don't know them! Just because I infiltrated Team Lava doesn't mean I know everything!"
Ze Shu: "————"
That's a very reasonable rebuttal.
But you don't even recognize this guy who looks like a Lava Team executive. Does that mean your "undercover" operation has failed a bit?
"Should we...?" Xiao Lan leaned closer and whispered.
"Give me the tracker I used in the subway battle," Zeki simply said.
Taking the tiny device from Xiaolan, Zeshu held it in his hand, then casually grabbed the six-tailed fox that was eating heartily nearby, and walked towards the campfire.
As they approached, the bright yellow nine-tailed fox nestled by the campfire was the first to notice them, staring at Ze Shu with a slightly wary look.
"What a beautiful Nine-Tails..." Zeki met the Nine-Tails' red eyes and said with a smile, "It's practically capable of winning the Grand Contest."
It was unclear what word Zeshu mentioned that caused Gui Huo to pause slightly, before replying perfunctorily, "Thank you for the compliment. However... winning the Grand Contest... that's no easy feat..."
'
After saying that, the campfire stopped talking and just watched the happy Pokémon jumping rope in the distance, looking like it didn't want to say anything more and just wanted to be quiet.
But Ze Shu followed her gaze and asked again, "Do you really like Pokémon?"
Campfire: "Yes... I like seeing them happy..."
Ze Shu sighed, glancing sideways at the weather research institute not far away, now a charred ruin, and said meaningfully, "But unfortunately, this scene of happiness seems a little out of place."
"Not only was this research institute destroyed, but I also heard that all the floating bubbles in the institute were captured by some unknown person. Those cute floating bubbles must not be very happy now..."
He observed the expression on the campfire.
But after he finished speaking, the campfire didn't react violently or reveal any flaws. Instead, she seemed a little lost and fell silent.
Well, this woman is really hard to talk to.
Zeshu turned to look at Nine-Tails and asked, "Can I touch it? Hmm, Six-Tails really likes this Nine-Tails, after all, it's its evolved form..."
"Ugh..." Six-tailed Fox, obediently held in Ze Shu's hand, muttered in protest.
It didn't particularly like this hot, yellow fox that had three more tails than it!
All it likes is delicious food!
Hmph, if it's barely, barely, or even barely, then there's still Sawaki!
Ze Shu silently rubbed the chubby belly of the Six-Tailed Fox, making it yelp and howl. Only then did he pick up the little tail that had been following him at his feet at some point. This fire-type Six-Tailed Fox, which was named "Little Tail" by the little blue creature, was the correct evolution of the Nine-Tailed Fox in front of him.
Little Tail was obediently held in Ze Shu's hands, only blinking its little eyes as it curiously looked at the campfire.
As the campfire watched Little Tail, who seemed unusually sentimental today, lost in memories again: "Thinking back, Nine-Tails was just as adorable as she was when she was little..."
"If it's touching, I have no problem with it, but Nine-Tailed Fox might not like being petted..."
'
But after a while...
Looking at the Nine-Tails in Ze Shu's hands, which was reserved but couldn't help but tilt its chin up and make "gurgling" sounds, Campfire was stunned. Was this still the Nine-Tails that was independent and arrogant to outsiders?
This man's "touching" skills are ridiculously good!
Ze Shu scratched the nine-tailed fox's chin, meeting its slightly narrowed, clearly extremely comfortable red eyes, and couldn't help but smile.
His "Pokémon petting" skills, which started with Officer Jenny's Growlithe, haven't been without improvement—while they don't have the exaggerated effect of "XXX Hand," making them feel comfortable is at least a simple matter.
The nine-tailed fox is different from the six-tailed fox or the small-tailed fox when you pet it. Its fur is not as soft and smooth as velvet, but rather slightly tough and straight, though it is still quite smooth.
Perhaps because this Nine-Tailed Fox's characteristic is "sunshine," it has a comforting "sunshine scent" when you pet it.
Having touched them enough, Ze Shu picked up the two six-tailed foxes again and left amidst the red eyes of the nine-tailed fox, which seemed to plead with her to stay, leaving the campfire with the quiet atmosphere she desired.
It seems the campfire will remain stationary tonight, at least.
Returning to the spot where she used to fish, Glaceon waited there like a wife awaiting her husband's return.
"Bu-i~~"
"Okay, okay."
Ze Shu smiled and picked up Ice Eevee again, placing it on his lap, letting it squint its eyes contentedly once more.
Then, she handed the tangerine she had picked up on her way back to the obedient little monster beside her, making it purse its lips and purse.
With a delighted sound, he peeled the orange.
Only then did he look back at the water.
"Why are you still here?"
A hollowed-out triangular fish fin and a pitted, yellowish-brown fish head emerged from the water.
It's an ugly fish.
Surrounded by his five "hunger monster squads" of bait-eating fish, the ugly fish resolutely refused to move an inch.
Just now, after Ze Shu caught this ugly fish because of the campfire, he didn't do anything else - he just put it back into the water, saw that it was very thin, just threw some more bait into it, and told the weak-mouthed fish not to steal the food.
"Pfft pfft..."
Ugly Fish timidly blew out a few bubbles.
Don't ask why it didn't leave; it's simply because it was too hungry...
The fish was so hungry that its belly was sunken in, and its pale blue fins were tattered.
This made it, which was already known for its "ugliness," even more... pathetic because it was extremely hungry.
"Still not enough to eat...?" Ze Shu frowned.
Feebas is even easier to raise than Magikarp. They have evolved to the point that they are not picky about living conditions or food and can survive almost anywhere. If we're talking about Pokémon that would stay in murky, smelly ditches, besides Corphish, it's this kind of creature.
But the ugly fish in front of us looked like it was about to starve to death.
Why is this happening?
Here, eat it.
Ze Shu then scattered a few more handfuls of bait.
Ergui Peng hesitated for a moment, then shared the half-segment of the tangerine he had just peeled with Ugly Fish, "Bonnie~"
The ugly fish didn't even have time to say thank you before it wolfed down its food, finishing it in no time. Ze Shu then sprinkled more bait. Despite having eaten quite a bit, the ugly fish still pounced on the food like a starving ghost.
After several repetitions, the ugly fish's belly visibly swelled up.
Ze Shu then smiled and said, "If you keep starving, you might never evolve into Milotic."
The fact that Feebas can evolve into Milotic is not exactly a secret controlled by "elite families" in this world; rather, it is common knowledge among Pokémon players.
After all, Cynthia and Wallace, who live in Sinnoh and Hoenn respectively, each have a Milotic, which they bred from Feebas when they were young.
There are also many "Fugif" enthusiasts in this world who have the great joy of their Fugif evolving into Milotic.
The reason why evolving into Milotic is considered a "great event" is simply because the conditions for Feebas to evolve are extremely demanding.
Ze Shu looked at the ugly fish with its full belly.
Its yellowish-brown body was pitted and uneven, its pale blue fins were tattered, and it had a bright red sausage-like mouth and a dull, lifeless gaze... It could be said that there wasn't a single part of it that wasn't ugly.
Just imagine, trying to breed this ugly fish until it's beautiful enough to evolve into Milotic...
This is really making things too difficult for ordinary people.
Even Mikuri, a Milotic expert, only raised one Milotic, unlike Lance who raised a lot of Dragonair and Dragonite.
So even though people know that Feebas can evolve into the powerful and beautiful Milotic, it only sparked a "Feebas evolution craze" when the evolutionary chain was first confirmed.
But after the hype died down and people realized the truth about the fish's inability to evolve, the fish's survival environment remained precarious.
"Pfft pfft..."
Feeling its unusually full belly, Ugly Fish looked at Ze Shu's dead fish eyes with gratitude. It blew out several bubbles and swam around in the water without leaving.
Ze Shu smiled, simply reattached the bait to the fishing rod, cast it again, and fed his "bait-eating squad".
The next morning, as dawn broke.
The charred weather research institute in the distance still exudes a melancholy atmosphere among the researchers as they futilely search for data.
The campfire had quietly disappeared sometime ago. According to Xiaolan, she seemed to have been sitting in her corner the whole time, just watching the Pokémon who were happily jumping rope get sleepy and disperse.
Commander Pi Zhan sat cross-legged beside the several tents that had been set up, seemingly having silently guarded them all night.
The cursed doll moved around it clumsily, seemingly much more lively and agile than yesterday.
If this continues, it may only need two more days to recover.
However, even after it recovers, no matter how lively it is... Ze Shu would probably still look clumsy looking at its doll-like appearance with its uneven limbs and eyes.
Zeshu went back to that spot to fish.
In the water, a family of white-striped bass huddled together, while the timid weasel cautiously hid in a corner, but immediately darted out at the sight of the swamp tree...
The golden carp was still sleeping, but in a rather awkward sleeping posture, its belly almost completely up. When Zeshu first saw it, he thought it was about to die.
But besides these five figures of his "bait-eating squad," there is another little guy guarding this place.
"Pfft!"
Upon seeing Ze Shu again, Ugly Fish's eyes brimmed with joy. Its tail fins swayed rapidly, creating bubbling waves on the water's surface. It seemed to have quite a talent; after a hearty meal, its strength recovered quickly.
"Yes, yes, we have everything, take your time."
Ze Shu cast his harmless plastic fishing hook with bait on it, but did not scatter bait to feed the fish as he had yesterday. After all, yesterday was a special case for Ugly Fish, and this time it was not as hungry, so he needed to take care of the other fish as well.
And so, Ze Shu stayed here for three days.
Three days later, after Furong's "assessment," she happily announced, "The cursed doll is almost completely healed!"
Cursed Doll: o—0?
Hibiscus: "But the cursed doll is still clumsy!"
Cursed Doll: (ǒ0)
It silently sat back on the Commander of Slashing Shoulders, no longer wanting to speak.
Furong: "Hehe~"
Since that's the case, Ze Shu doesn't need to stay here any longer, after all, he's been fishing for three days already.
And where to go next...?
"This is the route the Nine-Tailed Fox takes around the campfire."
Xiao Lan frowned slightly as she handed over a tablet, saying, "After leaving, the campfire didn't stay long before heading straight south. Last night, Ninetales went to a place on Route 119. This morning, news came that that area... was scorched by the sun all night, and the Pokémon all ran away. But it's uncertain whether any wild Pokémon went missing as a result..."
'
"And now, the campfire should be here..."
"Kallu Tunnel".
"Also, these are a few audio clips that the tracker picked up occasionally earlier, they're very suspicious..."
Xiao Lan played the audio.
"Campfire! This is a crucial moment, where have you been these past two days!"
"I... saw a few Pokémon I liked on the way, which is exactly what we need, just like that batch... so I went to catch them..."
"Hmph! Campfire! You're one of my most capable men! I'll let it slide this time, but don't let it happen again!"
"Yes... Lady Fire Goose..."
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