I'll Flay a Layer of Skin off You!

Cheng Tian let Froakie out again and said with a beaming smile, "Now we're partners. Let's work hard together!"

Cheng Tian was genuinely happy now. This trip had finally landed him a Pokémon he really liked.

He had used up quite a few of the supplies he had spent 3,800 on before leaving. Cheng Tian did a rough tally: Poké Balls, Potions, Antidotes, Repels...

Even counting everything, he had spent less than 2,000, yet he had caught a starter Pokémon, Froakie. And with all of Froakie's Egg Moves, plus the combat experience and techniques learned from Barbaracle, this was an absolute steal!

Froakie completely blew the ones sold in stores out of the water!

Although Froakie didn't have the Hidden Ability protean, Cheng Tian didn't mind much.

In his previous life, he had played a Pokémon ROM hack called Pokémon Ultra Emerald on his phone. In that game, when a Froakie with torrent reached its final evolution into Greninja at level 36, there was a tiny chance its ability would become the dream ability, battle bond. As far as Cheng Tian was concerned, protean was great, but battle bond utterly outclassed it.

Battle bond: after defeating an opposing Pokémon, Greninja would resonate with its bond with its Trainer, completing a temporary evolution that surpassed its own limits. Water Shuriken's damage would increase.

But reality couldn't be summed up by a game. Even if Froakie never awakened that dream ability, Cheng Tian would still be happy. Not only had Froakie chosen him, but that choice also meant Barbaracle trusted him to take good care of Froakie.

Since Froakie had chosen him, Cheng Tian would help Froakie grow stronger!

He had finally made it to the Pokémon world. If he didn't stand at the summit and take in the view, wouldn't this whole life have been wasted?

Yamper stuck out a tongue and licked Froakie, leaving the spot tingling slightly. "Yep, Yamper really likes you too!"

"Fro, fro." Froakie was a little embarrassed.

Cheng Tian nodded. "All right, we should head back to the city now. Stay close, Froakie."

And so Cheng Tian set off toward National Highway 488 in Bingzhou with Yamper and Froakie.

September 12, League Calendar 2055, 5 p.m.

A black sedan was traveling along the highway.

A girl sat in the back seat, her waist-length black hair glossy and bright. Her eyes, still as an undisturbed pool, gazed out the window in boredom.

Bingzhou?

The girl didn't remember having any particularly good impression of this place. It had a large population, and its development had ranked near the bottom among the country's cities for decades. It didn't have much in the way of tourist attractions or local culture, either.

If her dad hadn't decided he had nothing better to do than give up his position as an honorary elder among the Pokémon League Breeders and become a deputy mayor here, she wouldn't have come.

Thinking of her father left the girl feeling helpless.

Ever since that incident had ended and her mother had passed away, her father had poured all his love into her. She knew he felt guilty for not coming back to see her mother in her final moments. She had been furious too, but as time passed, she had slowly forgiven him. In his own mind, though, his love for his daughter was merely another way of atoning.

She slowly spoke, her voice clear and sweet as silver bells.

"Uncle Wang, sorry for the trouble, but could you open the window? It's a little stuffy." The driver up front wore a cheerful smile and looked like an easygoing, kindly man.

At her request, he reached out and pressed a button. The window slowly lowered, and he eased off the speed a little too.

Looking through the rearview mirror, the man called Uncle Wang asked with a chuckle, "Why does our young lady look so unhappy?"

The girl pursed her lips. "I'm not. I just don't understand why Dad came here to be a deputy mayor. Now I have to transfer schools too."

Uncle Wang said, "Your father is doing this for your sake too, miss. Bingzhou's economy might not be doing very well, but its education ranks among the best in the country. And there are all sorts of Pokémon here. Don't you love Pokémon?"

The girl fell silent. She really did love Pokémon. In the days after her mother's death, aside from her father, it had been her mother's Pokémon who kept her company.

After traveling along National Highway 488 for a while, the car gradually approached the Bingzhou toll station.

Just then, the girl suddenly saw a filthy figure climb over the fence at the side, jog over, and finally crouch beneath the tollbooth.

"What is that???" The girl was puzzled.

That's right. That filthy thing was none other than Cheng Tian...

Like a motherless child's troubles, it was a long story.

Cheng Tian had been happily making his way toward National Highway 488 and had taken a short break. Who could have guessed that the grass ahead would rustle and a yellow rat with huge front teeth would walk out?

Wouldn't you know it? It was the very Raticate who had led the entire clan in pursuit of Cheng Tian.

Cheng Tian and Raticate froze when they saw each other, then their expressions darkened in unison.

How did I run into you here??? / Finally, I've found you!!!

Cheng Tian gave an awkward smile. "Bro, have you eaten yet?"

The answer was a gaping mouth.

Cheng Tian started running for his life again, his face clouded with exasperation. "Goddammit, what kind of luck is this? How did I run into you here?!"

Raticate pursued him relentlessly, so furious that even the nose twisted.

Yesterday, Beedrill had slaughtered nearly the entire clan. After injuring the Beedrill leader, Raticate had been chased for two li along mountain paths before barely escaping.

Today, I'm tearing this brat to shreds!

As Cheng Tian fled, he shouted, "Bro! Bro! Leave a little breathing room today, and we can meet on good terms tomorrow!"

That only made Raticate angrier.

Breathing room, my fucking ass!

Cheng Tian fled madly southward, too busy to care about getting scraped by the bushes. By the time he had made it through, he was covered in dirt and dust.

Watching Raticate draw ever closer, Cheng Tian couldn't help cursing inwardly. You rotten heavens, just you wait!!!

Just then, Cheng Tian spotted a spiderweb strung between two large trees ahead, with an enormous spider clinging to it. Wasn't that the very Ariados who had escaped last night?

Ariados froze upon seeing Cheng Tian, then fury flared in those eyes as well.

Heaven had a road, but you wouldn't take it. Hell had no gate, yet you barged right in. You're today's lunch!

"Fuck, I'm done for today," Cheng Tian couldn't help swearing.

Behind him, Raticate lunged with Hyper Fang, while Ariados leaped down from the web with Bug Bite.

At that critical moment, Cheng Tian gritted his teeth. You forced me into this!

"Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus!!!" Cheng Tian roared, then dropped onto his backside in an extremely strange pose.

For some reason, seeing this dumbass perform that move made it look incredibly bizarre...

But that one drop sent the lunging Raticate and descending Ariados crashing hard into each other. Their moves struck each other, and both tumbled down, dazed and disoriented.

Cheng Tian took one look and bolted.

By the time the two Pokémon came to their senses, Cheng Tian was long gone. Both burned with fury, each convinced the other had gotten in the way, and they began to fight.

Cheng Tian, the instigator of it all, knew nothing about that.

After being chased all that way, Cheng Tian felt as though his throat was beginning to bleed.

But he didn't dare stop, since he had no idea whether those two Pokémon would catch up. He summoned every last scrap of strength and kept running.

It wasn't until nearly five that afternoon that he finally burst out of the woods and saw the familiar fence.

Tears gushed from Cheng Tian's eyes like a spring. "I've finally made it back to civilization!"

Now there was only one last hurdle: slipping past without attracting the toll station staff's attention.

While the toll worker was playing on a phone, Cheng Tian dashed over and crouched beneath the tollbooth.

But wouldn't you know it, a black sedan pulled up behind him.

The sedan's rear window was open, and Cheng Tian and the girl saw each other's faces at the same time.

This girl is gorgeous. That was Cheng Tian's first thought.

Cheng Tian had seen plenty of pretty girls, but none could compare with the one before him.

The girl looked as though she had stepped out of a painting, elegant and noble, yet unapproachable.

Uncle Wang, in the driver's seat, froze when he saw someone crouching beneath the tollbooth and was just about to speak.

Seeing that, Cheng Tian grew frantic and hurriedly pressed his palms together in a plea.

At the sight of Cheng Tian begging her, the girl instinctively called, "Uncle Wang."

Hearing her, Uncle Wang changed the words on the tip of his tongue. "Please open the barrier for me. Thank you." Wearing a professional smile, the toll worker raised the barrier, and Uncle Wang stepped on the accelerator, driving the black sedan away.

The girl leaned her head out slightly and looked at Cheng Tian once more.

His eyes are really beautiful.

As he drove, Uncle Wang asked in confusion, "Why did you help that person, miss? He looked rather suspicious."

The girl shook her head. "I don't know either." Uncle Wang said nothing more and continued driving.

Recalling the filthy boy pressing his palms together and pleading with her, a glimmer of delight flashed through the girl's normally calm, clear eyes.

He was cute, like a little animal.

Cheng Tian stood dazed for a moment. Only when he saw the barrier about to lower did he snap out of it and hurry through.

He had finally returned to Bingzhou, and his whole body relaxed. Yet the girl in the car kept surfacing in his mind.

Cheng Tian shook his head. It wasn't as though he forgot how to walk whenever he saw a woman. For now, he needed to hurry back.

He definitely couldn't go home looking like this. He could only stay at Bai Yun's place first.

Cheng Tian flagged down a taxi and asked the driver to take him to the villa district. The driver eyed the filthy boy suspiciously.

With no other choice, Cheng Tian added, "An extra fifty."

Only then did the driver beam. He stepped on the accelerator and headed toward the villa district.

The villa district, outside Bai Yun's home.

With a pained expression, Cheng Tian paid the fare through Huabei, then walked into the villa district.

"I wonder if he'll be happy to see me. I didn't wake him that morning since he was sleeping so soundly," Cheng Tian muttered to himself.

Walking up, Cheng Tian was just about to knock when he noticed the door wasn't closed.

"Bai Yun, I'm back," Cheng Tian called. But when he looked up, he saw Bai Yun standing at the door with an awful expression, frantically signaling with his eyes.

Cheng Tian jumped. "Oh, sorry. Wrong house."

He was just about to close the door when his mother's icy voice rang out. "Where are you going, my darling son? Aren't you going to wash your hands and get ready for dinner?"

Cheng Tian's face stiffened, and he forced an extremely ugly smile. "Mom, g-good afternoon."

His mother erupted. "You little brat! You've gotten awfully bold, sneaking out all by yourself! Get your ass over here! I'll flay a layer of skin off you today!"

Cheng Tian blanched. "No!!!"

New author, new book. Please recommend and bookmark.