"Pika-God, if you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes." Su Yan said, gripping the dagger in reverse. "I'll get you down now!"
"Brother Yan, isn't this a little too... casual?"
Before Zhu Zhuqing could finish, Su Yan brought the dagger down, and the net split open.
Su Yan lifted Pikachu out and gently brushed the dust off its fur. "Don't worry. Pokémon are gentle creatures. They can't speak, but they can understand what we say, just like now."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded as if she understood. When she saw Su Yan holding Pikachu out in front of him like a plush toy, she inexplicably reached out and grabbed its lightning-bolt-shaped tail.
The soft sensation left them both entranced.
Su Yan spoke again. "Pikachu, from today on, you're our new companion!"
"Pika..."
A yellow ring edged in gold suddenly appeared around Pikachu.
A Soul Ring? How could there be a Soul Ring?
The ring gradually brightened.
What did this mean?
"Chuu!"
Zzzzt!
The crackle of electricity rang through the sky, turning the forest as bright as day.
Golden lightning instantly engulfed them both. The current pierced their skin, and a tingling numbness spread through every inch of their bodies.
Two skeletons could just barely be seen collapsing to the ground as the smell of charred flesh slowly filled the air.
"Brother Tang Chi, should we go help them?" Princess Xue Ke furrowed her brow, unconsciously clutching her clothes.
Without hesitation, Tang Chi picked her up, set her in her wheelchair, and hurried over, pushing her along. "Let's go take a look. Hold on tight!"
On the grass, Su Yan lay sprawled in a bizarre pose, his hair standing on end like a hedgehog's. His whole body convulsed, and he couldn't move. "Th... Thunderbolt. It... it really lives up to its name."
Zhu Zhuqing had fared much better. Her Martial Soul had blocked most of the electricity. Though she couldn't move either, at least she'd kept her dignity; only her hair was splayed out, every strand standing straight up and pointing at the sky.
The wooden wheels drew closer. Xue Ke exclaimed, "Wow, Sister Zhuqing, your hair can fly! Brother Su Yan, you..."
For a moment, she couldn't think of how to describe it.
Su Yan was practically challenging the limits of human flexibility.
Tang Chi ran over and poked Su Yan with a finger.
"Don't... don't touch me. I'm numb." Even Su Yan's voice sounded like it was crackling with electricity.
After quite a while, Zhu Zhuqing managed to get up from the ground. Her hair was still pointing skyward, but the numbness in her body had finally passed.
A little later, Su Yan could move again. With a groan, he straightened himself out and sat on the ground, sighing in relief.
Pikachu had long since run off.
"Zhu Qing, I'm sorry." Su Yan lowered his head sheepishly.
Zhu Zhuqing pressed her lips together. After a long while, she finally sighed. "Brother Yan, it's not your fault. Pikachu was wary of us. Even if you hadn't let it go, I would have."
"What are you talking about? What Pikachu?" Tang Chi crouched down and looked around, then suddenly realized something. "Were you sneaking off to eat something delicious?"
"Get lost!" they both said in unison.
Tang Chi pouted and shrank behind Xue Ke's wheelchair. He planted the handle of the Thunderclap Hammer on the ground and muttered, "I'm drawing a Soul Ring to curse you..."
Xue Ke heard him and smiled silently.
Night deepened, and the four returned to camp. Tang Chi took over the night watch.
Zhu Zhuqing still went to pick some wild fruit and left it at the spot they'd agreed on.
Su Yan searched around the forest for any traces Pikachu might have left behind.
For several days in a row,
Pikachu never appeared again, and the wild fruit Zhu Zhuqing left behind never dwindled. One plate, two plates, three plates...
That night,
Zhu Zhuqing looked at the untouched fruit and felt a little downcast.
Su Yan searched the surrounding area again but found no sign of Pikachu.
"Zhu Qing, we have to leave tomorrow," Su Yan said.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, feeling rather gloomy.
"Pikachu, stay safe! We're still waiting to become your companions!" Su Yan shouted.
The only reply was the rustling of leaves in the wind.
After a while, they returned to camp and began cultivating.
A little later, the bushes rustled, and a Golden Soul Beast emerged. Seeing the heap of wild fruit on the ground, it watched the golden sparks flicker across its red cheeks and picked up a piece with its little paw, popping it into its mouth.
The next day, the four set out, ready to go. After Su Yan chose their direction, Zhu Zhuqing went ahead to scout the path, Tang Chi pushed Xue Ke, and Su Yan kept an eye on their route while staying ready to deal with any Soul Beasts that might appear.
"Brother Yan, something's up ahead." Zhu Zhuqing hurried back. "There are several Giant-Toothed Hounds blocking the road."
"Let's go around."
The four headed in another direction, but before long the Giant-Toothed Hounds blocked their path again.
"What are these Giant-Toothed Hounds trying to do?" Su Yan marked every place they'd appeared with an X on the sheepskin map.
They changed direction and kept going, but the Giant-Toothed Hounds blocked their way again.
After running into them five or six times, Su Yan had a bad feeling.
He told everyone to stop, then spread out the sheepskin map and connected the places where the Giant-Toothed Hounds had appeared. Alarm bells rang in his mind.
"Guys, get ready to break through. Zhu Qing, Princess Xue Ke is in your hands. Tang Chi, get ready to use Thunderquake Wave at a moment's notice."
"Su Yan, what's going on?" Tang Chi asked, hefting the Thunderclap Hammer as blue-white lightning gathered across its surface.
"We've stayed here too long. The Giant-Toothed Hounds have their eyes on us," Su Yan said gravely. "They've made our previous position the center of their formation and stationed several Giant-Toothed Hounds at every route out. They've got us surrounded."
Tang Chi panicked a little and hurriedly asked, "What do we do?"
"We still have a chance if we break through somewhere before they close in," Su Yan said, heading in one direction.
Zhu Zhuqing simply carried Xue Ke on her back and put the wheelchair into her waist pouch.
The three of them moved quickly. Before long, they saw three Giant-Toothed Hounds blocking their path.
"Listen up. We'll stick to the plan. I'll draw their attention. Tang Chi, use Thunderquake Wave to paralyze them. Zhu Qing, take the chance to break through first and keep Princess Xue Ke at a safe distance. Understand?"
"Understood!"
"Move!" Su Yan said. "Fire Wolf, possess me!"
Since obtaining his First Soul Ring, Su Yan's Fire Wolf had grown a size larger. Once fully possessed, he was about the same size as the Giant-Toothed Hounds.
He leaped straight into the middle of the three hounds' triangular formation, bent down, grabbed one of them, and used Sweeping Thousand Army.
The three Giant-Toothed Hounds hadn't even had time to react before they crashed into one another.
"Tang Chi!"
"Your hero's here!" Tang Chi raised the Thunderclap Hammer high and came crashing down from above. Blue-white lightning spread like a massive net, blanketing everything. "First Soul Skill, Thunderquake Wave!"
The dazzling lightning jolted the three Giant-Toothed Hounds into whining, but it only restrained them for a moment.
Zhu Zhuqing seized the chance to use Resonance Step and appeared outside the encirclement. Tang Chi followed close behind.
The three Soul Beasts could still barely fight, and Su Yan alone bore the brunt of their attacks with his body.
"Go on ahead!" Su Yan roared. Flames coated his claws. "First Soul Skill, Wolf Fang Wind Wind Fist, Triple Shot!"
The three Giant-Toothed Hounds were all knocked back several steps. Taking advantage of the opening, Su Yan leaped backward, his body growing slimmer.
"Blazing Spirit Cat, possess me!"
The instant his paws hit the ground, his back arched, and he shot forward like a cannonball.
"We made it through!" Su Yan said, a smug smile playing on his lips.
The next moment, a fourth Giant-Toothed Hound dropped from above, kicking up a cloud of dust as it blocked their way.
Su Yan immediately sensed trouble.
Then the fifth and sixth leaped out as well. Together with the first three, they instantly formed a ring around the four of them.
"You sneaky mutts."
Su Yan had never expected the Giant-Toothed Hounds to show three of themselves openly while keeping three more hidden to ambush them.
Now they'd probably have to ask the Blue-Eyes White Dragon for help again. He hoped the big guy would respond this time.
Before you continue