Miss, Don't Panic. I'm Coming!

After saying goodbye to his mother, Xu Mu boarded a plane to Stone City.

The entrance to the Viridian Wilds was near Stone City, so flying was the quickest way there.

Of course, a Dragonite might have gotten him there even faster.

Thanks to the system's prompt, Xu Mu was now on high alert.

Whenever he saw a pretty young woman, Xu Mu wondered if she was the one destined for him!

Sometimes, if a woman so much as glanced at Xu Mu, this lecher could probably come up with names for their future children.

After arriving in Stone City, Xu Mu wasted no time. He took a taxi straight from the airport to the hotel he had booked in advance.

To him, time was everything!

He had to make every second count and find the woman of his dreams as quickly as possible.

"Croak!"

[Little lizard, what's gotten into our young master these past two days? He seems distracted.]

"Chirp!"

[What's it to you? What's it to me?]

Charmander, who had his rear in the air as he searched the hotel room for surveillance devices, snapped back and kept working.

First, he needed to make sure no Pokémon were hiding here. He had to be especially careful of Ghost-types.

Then he checked for cameras and listening devices.

Xu Mu lay on the bed, playing with his phone as he urged Charmander on.

"Charmander, are you done yet? We need to head out. The Viridian Wilds are waiting for me!"

Charmander ignored Xu Mu and merely snorted to himself.

[Hmph. He has no idea how to protect himself. Do I really have to teach him that boys need to be careful when they're away from home?]

At long last, Charmander finished checking their new hotel room.

Finding nothing wrong, Charmander prepared to rest.

But before he could sit down, Xu Mu grabbed him and tossed him onto his shoulder.

"Are you walking on your own, or should I put you back in your Poké Ball and take you along that way?"

Xu Mu turned to Greninja with a grin and asked.

"Croak!"

[I'll walk!]

Greninja answered at once and hurried out of the room ahead of them.

But he was still wondering to himself.

[What happened? Why is the young master suddenly so eager to enter the Wilds?]

[Could he have finally found his drive? Does he want to train hard and become the strongest Trainer in the world?]

[I get it! I can't let him down. I need to get stronger too!]

[Don't worry, young master. Once we reach Viridian Forest, I'll train harder than ever. I won't disappoint you!]

Xu Mu had no idea what was going through Greninja's head. He merely assumed that his show of making an example of Charmander had scared Greninja into not opposing the decision to go to Viridian Forest.

As for Charmander, he would let the little guy off for now.

If Charmander's delay made Xu Mu miss the woman of his dreams, he could always deal with him later.

By the time their car reached the Viridian Wilds, Xu Mu was frantic.

He showed the guards his identification, rushed straight into the passageway, and stepped into the Viridian Wilds!

Once inside the Secret Realm, everyone else immediately surveyed their surroundings and the people nearby. Xu Mu did no such thing.

Xu Mu's sharp, bright eyes swept over every young woman present with the precision of a Zubat's radar.

No good. None of them were my type!

The more he sighed to himself, the more determined Xu Mu was not to give up hope.

The system said she's here. This is where I'll meet the woman of my dreams!

But after looking around for ages, he had yet to find a single woman who seemed interested in him.

Some of the women who came here already had someone in their hearts. The rest were focused on getting stronger and had come to gain experience.

Who else would be like Xu Mu, lacking nothing except love?

He had come here specifically to find true love.

"Croak!"

[We've been standing here for an hour. What's the young master doing?]

Greninja stood behind Xu Mu, occasionally using Water-type energy to cool him as he baked in the sun.

Charmander, meanwhile, absorbed the heat around Xu Mu to keep him from getting sunstroke.

"Chirp!"

[You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?]

Charmander muttered in exasperation and looked at Xu Mu, who was still standing in the sun, staring into space as he searched the crowd.

He groaned inwardly.

My Trainer might be beyond saving.

I've only just set out, and already I might see my Trainer lose his license for acting crazy and have all his Pokémon released.

I've got it so rough.

"Chirp!"

[Give him ten more minutes. If he's still staring at the crowd without moving, I'm leaving it to you.]

Greninja thumped his chest proudly.

"Croak!"

[Don't worry, buddy. Leave it to me!]

Sensing something odd about his two Pokémon, Xu Mu pulled his thoughts back, took a breath, and said quickly:

"Let's head deeper in. There's nothing around here but common Bug-type Pokémon. It's no fun."

The same words meant different things to different listeners.

Charmander thought Xu Mu had finally come to his senses.

He also thought Xu Mu had offered to take them deeper into Viridian Forest to find opponents for him and Greninja to train against. Delighted, he chirped without stopping.

Greninja, on the other hand, thought Xu Mu was ready for a fight.

Clearly, what the young master meant was that they should hold back for now. There was no point fighting weak Pokémon here; stronger opponents awaited deeper in the forest!

"Croak!"

[Got it, young master! Once we're deeper in, I'll take on everyone and show you what all my extra training has done!]

Greninja flashed the two Gym Badges he had won for Xu Mu, bared his gleaming white teeth, and followed him with a grin.

As for Xu Mu himself, he had meant something much simpler.

The Bug-type Pokémon here were weak, common, and not very cute.

The young women had no reason to stay here and play with them.

That was why he wanted to head deeper into the Wilds and see if he could run into the woman of his dreams!

As for the training Charmander imagined and the fighting Greninja expected?

What a joke. Neither had crossed Xu Mu's mind!

Xu Mu had always stubbornly believed Pokémon only needed to be strong enough to get by.

A Trainer?

He had no desire to be one!

Right now, all he wanted was to find the young woman the system had foretold. Nothing else mattered!

As they gradually made their way deeper into the forest, Xu Mu dodged the Bug-type Pokémon hopping about along the path.

Then he suddenly heard what sounded like a cry for help!

"Help!"

Xu Mu lit up. That was a young woman's voice!

"Don't panic, miss! I'm coming!"