The Brat Who Never Let Anyone Rest Easy

Late at night.

Old Man Qian sat on the bench beneath the eaves, holding a cup of tea that had long gone cold—or, more precisely, goji berry water.

Every so often, he would lift his head and wake up for a while, only to unconsciously close his eyes again and doze off.

As for why Old Man Qian was not asleep in the middle of the night, there were only two words for it—waiting for someone.

Creak—

As the courtyard gate opened, two figures entered one after the other.

They were Mark and Caterpie, returning from the forest.

Old Man Qian, half-asleep, vaguely heard the noise. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, then suddenly woke up.

"Mark, you brat, you still remembered to come back!!"

Old Man Qian stood up, ready to give Mark a proper scolding for disappearing for several days. Then he suddenly noticed something, and his gaze was drawn to it.

It was the Bug-Catching Net he had kept ever since childhood.

The net's long handle was made from pear fruit wood, shaved straight by hand, and maintained over the years with tung oil until it had become incredibly tough.

The net itself had been rewoven a few years ago using Caterpie's Hard Silk. So long as it was not violently damaged, it would last for years without issue.

He had thought Mark had lost the Bug-Catching Net, but never expected him to bring it back.

Old Man Qian walked up to Mark, grabbed the Bug-Catching Net, and examined it under the moonlight before wiping away the mud and plant sap stains with his sleeve.

Old Man Qian asked, "Why didn't you bring this net back last time?"

Mark thought back. "This net? Oh, I remember now. Caterpie and I were hurt last time, and carrying it was really inconvenient, so I left it in the forest. If you cared about it that much, you could have woken Caterpie and me up to ask when you left the Potion behind. I didn't lose it."

Old Man Qian suspiciously looked over Mark and Caterpie, which was leaning against Mark's pant leg. Then he seemed to think of something, slapped his forehead, and revealed an exasperated expression.

"I nearly forgot the important matter. Do you know that you missed an opportunity that could have changed your life? Why haven't you come back these past few days?"

Mark asked in confusion, "An opportunity that could change my life? Did something happen these past few days?"

"Hiss, hiss?"

Caterpie was curious too.

Old Man Qian glanced at Mark. "During the day today, people from the Pokemon Alliance in Fallen Leaf Province came. That boy Lin Tong, who awakened Psychic abilities, has already been taken away. I told Doctor Wu about how you gained Wisdom during the Awakening Ceremony. He said he could help test you, and if you were suitable, he could let you join the Hia Kingdom Ability User Training Program with Lin Tong. In the end, Doctor Wu waited more than three hours for you this afternoon..."

The corner of Old Man Qian's mouth twitched slightly as he spoke.

In truth, Doctor Wu had waited for three hours that afternoon largely because of him.

From beginning to end, he had never mentioned that Mark had not returned for several days. Nor had he mentioned that Mark had spent all these years surviving in the wilderness and often disappeared for days or even dozens of days at a time. Otherwise, Doctor Wu would never have foolishly waited with him.

After hearing the Village Chief's words, Mark did not feel disappointed at having missed the opportunity.

He had indeed been tempted for a moment by the Hia Kingdom Ability User Training Program the Village Chief mentioned, but only for a moment.

The reason was simple.

The Awakening Orb at the Awakening Ceremony had allowed Caterpie and him to absorb an enormous amount of experience.

If he joined this ability user training program, there was a good chance he would encounter similar devices, which would greatly help him accumulate experience and gain Points.

However, all of that depended on him being a genuine Special Ability User.

In reality, he had not gained Wisdom during the Awakening Ceremony at all. It was all something the Village Elder had imagined on his own.

So even if he joined the ability user training program, once they discovered he was only an Ordinary Person, he would most likely be advised to leave, wasting a great deal of time.

In the end, he would still have to take the Pokemon Academy route.

Thinking this, Mark said, "Village Chief, compared to that kind of training program for Special Ability Users, I think taking the entrance exam for Pokemon Academy would suit me better. You don't need to be so upset on my behalf."

Old Man Qian frowned as he looked at Mark. Under the moonlight, he could see the determination in Mark's eyes, just like those Bug Catchers in the village who never let him rest easy.

Whenever he asked those Bug Catchers how they planned to become Trainers in the future, their answer was always to participate in the Fallen Leaf Province Bug-Catching Contest. They looked down on taking the Pokemon Academy entrance exam.

Clearly, getting into Pokemon Academy offered better prospects than making one's debut through the Bug-Catching Contest. Joining the Hia Kingdom Ability User Training Program also offered a brighter future than getting into Pokemon Academy.

Yet those brats simply refused to listen.

Seeing Mark's regret-free expression and his insistence on taking the Pokemon Academy entrance exam, Old Man Qian felt utterly exhausted.

Ever since receiving the news the day before yesterday, he had waited every night for Mark to return. He had even left a note in Mark's room, yet the brat had vanished without a trace for days.

When Doctor Wu came today, he had even swallowed his pride and tricked Doctor Wu into waiting all afternoon for Mark.

He had wanted to give Mark a thorough scolding.

But when the words reached his lips, they ultimately turned into a sigh.

Old Man Qian said, "As long as you don't regret it in the future. Actually, getting into Pokemon Academy is a very good choice too, it's just that compared to... Forget it, I won't say any more.

"Oh, right. I asked about the question on the note you left a few days ago. Although Caterpie really does like sweet and spicy food, during the exam, everything should be based on the Textbook."

"Mm."

Mark nodded lightly, then opened his backpack and took out Hia Kingdom Pokemon Encyclopedia (Volume 2), quickly flipping through its pages.

"Village Chief, I have another question. This page mentions Caterpie and Magikarp as Complete Metamorphosis Pokemon, but it does not describe the traits or state of Complete Metamorphosis Pokemon at all. Do you know the criteria for classifying Complete Metamorphosis Pokemon?"

"Complete Metamorphosis Pokemon?" Qian Fugui took the book and thought for a moment. "The kind of Pokemon whose bloodline genes can awaken very few skills and moves before evolution, but can awaken many skills and moves after evolution? They even added this kind of thing to textbooks now?"

Old Man Qian led Mark into the house. Under the lamplight, he carefully flipped through the Textbook, his brows constantly furrowing.

"The written entrance exam for Pokemon Academy basically never goes beyond the contents of the books. Even if it does, it should not go too far beyond them. As for Complete Metamorphosis Pokemon, you only need to know that their bloodline genes undergo earth-shaking changes before and after evolution. As for their specific traits..."

Old Man Qian returned to his bedroom and rummaged through boxes and cabinets before taking out a black high-tech device that looked somewhat like a cellphone.

Old Man Qian turned it on, entered some words, and scrolled through it a few times. "As for specific traits, low intelligence should count as one. Whether it's Caterpie, Weedle, or Magikarp, their intelligence is far below the Pokemon average. There's no record of anything else here."

Mark asked, "Village Chief, is that a Pokemon Index in your hand?"

Old Man Qian slapped his forehead, looking somewhat annoyed. "I forgot you've wised up already. You're not the fool you used to be. Fine, you've seen it anyway. It is a Pokemon Index. If you become an Official Trainer in the future, you'll receive an Index from the Pokemon Alliance. Its model should be more advanced than this antique of mine. Of course, if you can come up with around one hundred thousand before becoming an Official Trainer, you can also buy a civilian version of the Index from a store."

Mark nodded lightly and continued, "Village Chief, are you a Trainer?"

Old Man Qian let out a soft sigh. "I suppose so. Oh, right, it's enough for you to know about this. Don't spread it around, and don't go telling people about the Pokemon Index either."

"Okay."

Mark nodded. Just as he had suspected, the Village Elder of Clear Stream Village really was someone with a story.

Could he be some reclusive master?

Mark pondered silently, then suddenly thought of something. He opened his backpack wider, revealing the Blue Berry inside...