In Bai Yun's villa, Cheng Tian's mother was scolding the two young men.
"I knew it! You came here to hang out without even bringing your schoolbag. How were you supposed to do your homework?"
Cheng Tian's face darkened. Damn it! So I left in such a hurry that I forgot my schoolbag. That was what gave me away.
Cheng Tian's Mother had an icy expression. "And here I was, thinking I'd bring your schoolbag over for you. Then I arrived and found you gone. Some fine son you are!"
Cheng Tian laughed awkwardly. "You flatter me, you flatter me. I am Dad's son, after all."
"Quit being a smart-mouth. Your dad's no better! Don't you know how dangerous the wilderness is? Huh? How could you go out there alone with Yamper? What if some high-level Pokémon attacked you? Did you think about any of that?!" The more Cheng Tian's Mother spoke, the angrier she became.
Bai Yun stood beside him, nodding vigorously. "Exactly, exactly. A-Tian, you really went too far this time. Look how upset you've made your mom."
Cheng Tian glared at Bai Yun. This backstabber had actually sold him out at the critical moment just to save his own skin.
Bai Yun felt pretty helpless, too. At a time like this, protecting himself was what mattered most. Better a fellow cultivator die than this humble Taoist.
A-Tian, sorry!
Cheng Tian's mother clearly wasn't buying it. "And you, Yun! Cheng Tian told you not to tell me, and you actually kept it from me?!"
Uh... Bai Yun's heart tightened. A-Tian, oh, A-Tian, you've really landed me in it!
Seeing this, Cheng Tian hurriedly said, "Mom, I only kept quiet because I didn't want you and Dad to worry. Besides, look, nothing happened to me."
"What else do you want to happen? You little brat, do you want your gray-haired dad to bury his own child?"
Only after lecturing the two boys for half an hour did Cheng Tian's mother finally cool down a little.
Cheng Tian's Mother shot Cheng Tian an irritated glare before speaking. "Look at you, covered in dirt from head to toe. Get yourself over there and clean up."
He was her son, after all, and much of what Cheng Tian's Mother had said had been spoken in anger. Seeing Cheng Tian looking so filthy and bedraggled, she would have been lying if she said her heart didn't ache.
Cheng Tian's Mother also knew why her son had risked going out to catch a Pokémon himself. Cheng Tian didn't want one that was too cheap, while buying an expensive one would strain the family's finances. An independent boy, he had gone out himself rather than ask his family.
As a parent, being unable to help her own child saddened Cheng Tian's Mother, too.
Cheng Tian felt as though he'd been granted a pardon. Not daring to say anything more, he hurried into the bathroom. That left only Cheng Tian's Mother and Bai Yun in the living room, making Bai Yun's heart skip a beat. She gave an awkward smile and said, "Auntie, I'll go check on A-Tian." With that, she fled as though escaping for her life.
Watching both young men disappear into the bathroom, Cheng Tian's mother wore a complicated expression and sighed softly.
Cheng Tian was giving his face a cursory rinse when Bai Yun walked in. "Why did you leave that morning without even saying goodbye? That wasn't very friendly of you."
Still washing his face, Cheng Tian replied, "You were sleeping so soundly. I thought about it and decided not to wake you, so I headed out first."
Taking in Cheng Tian's filthy appearance, Bai Yun clicked his tongue in admiration. "I have to say, you've got guts, going into the wilderness alone. Whatever the outcome, you've certainly proved you're a man."
Bai Yun clearly didn't believe Cheng Tian could have gained anything in just two days. He comforted him, saying, "It's fine. Listen, I'll get my dad to arrange a Pokémon for you."
Cheng Tian chuckled at that but said nothing.
"When did my mom get here?"
"Ah, she came this morning to bring your schoolbag. She looked around and realized you weren't here. I had no choice but to tell her the truth."
"Didn't I tell you to cover for me and say you didn't know where I'd gone?" Cheng Tian asked.
Bai Yun shot him an annoyed look. "You know perfectly well how good your mom is at interrogating people. It would've been a miracle if I'd managed to hold out!"
Cheng Tian was speechless. Bai Yun was telling the truth. He remembered being bullied by the girl who shared his desk in elementary school, so he'd hidden her pencil case. The girl had cried for ages, and the teacher had called his parents. At first, Cheng Tian wouldn't say a word, but Cheng Tian's Mother had gotten the truth out of him with just a few questions. After finding the pencil case and returning it, she'd taken him home and given him another beating...
After a quick wash, Cheng Tian and Bai Yun returned to the living room. By then, Cheng Tian's Mother's anger had completely subsided.
She looked at her son with a little heartache. "Yun told me you used your New Year's gift money to buy Poké Balls?"
Cheng Tian nodded. "Well, did you catch a Pokémon you wanted on your little adventure?" Cheng Tian's Mother asked, though she didn't hold out much hope.
Cheng Tian grinned and took a Great Ball off his belt. "Of course! Just whose son do you think I am?"
Bai Yun froze. This guy had actually caught a Pokémon???
Cheng Tian pressed the button. With a flash of red light, Froakie appeared. "Froak, froak!" Froakie surveyed the surroundings curiously.
Bai Yun seemed utterly stunned. After a long while, he finally blurted out in a cracking voice, "Holy ****! Froakie! Y-you-you actually caught a Froakie!"
Cheng Tian's mother didn't know much about Pokémon and instinctively paused at his words. "Froakie? I've never heard that name before."
Bai Yun hurried to explain. "Auntie, this is Froakie, a really popular starter Pokémon! One of the expensive ones, even among starters! He looks incredibly cool after evolving!"
Cheng Tian rubbed his nose smugly. "Well? Impressive, right?"
Hearing Bai Yun's explanation, Cheng Tian's mother gave her son an astonished look. He'd actually caught a starter Pokémon on this trip!
"Froak, froak." Froakie looked at Bai Yun. After thinking for a moment, he remembered that he seemed to have seen this boy on Cheng Tian's phone. Cheng Tian had said he was his friend.
So he held out his little white hand. Bai Yun paused, then tentatively shook it. "Froak, froak!" Froakie called out in greeting.
"Froakie's seen you on my phone," Cheng Tian said with a smile. Hearing that, Bai Yun hurried to greet him. "Hello, Froakie. Nice to meet you."
"All right, all right. Has your dad prepared a Pokémon for you?" Cheng Tian asked. Bai Yun nodded. "He said they'd send it over from the Pokémon Center tonight." Cheng Tian nodded at that.
Then Cheng Tian picked up Froakie and told him, "Froakie, this is my mother. Come on, say hello."
Hearing Cheng Tian's words, Froakie hurriedly bowed.
I can't forget my manners. I have to make a good impression on Cheng Tian's mom!
Cheng Tian's Mother crouched down and stroked Froakie's head. "You've been looking after Cheng Tian out in the wilderness these past two days, haven't you? Thank you, little Froakie."
"Froak, froak..." Froakie scratched his head bashfully. Cheng Tian had taken good care of him, too.
After these brief introductions, Cheng Tian's mother picked up Froakie and said to her son, "Since you're back, stop hanging around Yun's house. Come home, tell your dad all about it, and have a proper bath."
Cheng Tian nodded. "We'll get going, then, Bai Yun. Sorry for the trouble."
Bai Yun accompanied the mother and son all the way to the gate. Once they had climbed onto their electric scooter, he said, "Take care on the road, Auntie."
Cheng Tian waved, and then they left.
Watching Cheng Tian's figure recede into the distance, Bai Yun sighed enviously. "A-Tian's so lucky. He went out and caught a starter all by himself."
Cheng Tian's mother first took him to the Pokémon Center, where Yamper and Froakie received some basic treatment. Then they went to the shopping street to buy Froakie some suitable Water-type Pokémon food and a blue food bowl before finally heading home.
It was past 7:00 p.m. by the time they returned. Cheng Tian's father sat in a chair with a stern expression. "You're back."
Cheng Tian nodded, only for Cheng Tian's Father to feign anger. "Xiao Tian, you've really disappointed me this time."
Cheng Tian's Mother said irritably, "Enough. Both of you can drop the act. What matters is that Xiao Tian's back."
At that, Cheng Tian's Father scratched his head sheepishly. Then he asked with a little excitement, "Ahem... did you get anything out of this trip, Xiao Tian?"
"Yeah, Dad. I caught Froakie, a starter Pokémon." As he spoke, he took out the Great Ball and released Froakie.
Cheng Tian's Father's eyes widened. Then he hurried over and crouched down for a closer look. "It really is Froakie! Xiao Tian, you're so lucky."
As he spoke, he plucked a clump of foam from around Froakie's neck and began examining it with great interest.
Then he excitedly told Cheng Tian, "Look, Xiao Tian. The foam Froakie secretes protects his body, and it's very sticky. That means his Bubble move is different from the Bubble other Pokémon use."
Cheng Tian nodded. He'd seen that for himself back in the forest.
"All right, son, let Yamper out, too. Both little ones must be hungry after the day they've had," Cheng Tian's Mother said.
Cheng Tian let Yamper out and returned Yamper's Poké Ball to Cheng Tian's Mother while he was at it.
Yamper wasn't his Pokémon, after all. Having Yamper battle on this trip really had been asking a lot.
The moment Yamper appeared, Yamper bounded happily toward Cheng Tian's father, who stroked Yamper's head with his large, rough hand.
Cheng Tian's Mother took out the food bowl they'd just bought for Froakie and Yamper's bowl, then filled each with their respective Pokémon food.
"Froak?" Froakie looked at the food in the bowl. Is all this for me? Cheng Tian's father nodded with a smile. "Go ahead and eat, Froakie. We're family now. No need to be so shy."
Froakie tentatively picked up a piece, sniffed it, and then ate it in one bite. "Froak, froak!"
Out in the wild, he'd always eaten Berries and fish that he and his master found. This was his first time tasting anything so delicious.
Cheng Tian and his family enjoyed their dinner, too.
After dinner, Cheng Tian took Froakie to soak in the bath with him.
In the bathroom, Cheng Tian studied himself in the mirror and touched his face. "I'm not bad-looking at all!"
The idiot was starting to admire himself, though, to be fair, Cheng Tian really was quite handsome. His skin wasn't as fair as Bai Yun's, but it had a healthy wheat-colored tone.
His neat black hair made him look bright and energetic, while his most striking feature was his pair of clear, dark eyes.
Cheng Tian touched his stomach. He wasn't fat, but his usual exercise amounted to attending PE class. He didn't have an eight-pack like those fitness influencers online. At most, he had the faintest hint of a V-line, which gave his figure a nicely balanced look.
"Froak, froak." Froakie called out to let him know the tub was full.
"Coming, coming." Cheng Tian walked over quickly and took a moment to adjust to the water temperature before sitting down with Froakie in his arms.
His whole body relaxed at once, and Cheng Tian couldn't help letting out a groan. "Froooak~"
Froakie was clearly comfortable, too. His two big yellow eyes narrowed contentedly.
"Huh? Froakie, your foam's floating everywhere!"
The surface of the bathwater was now covered in Froakie's foam. Cheng Tian reached out to touch it. It felt sticky, yet it slid smoothly off his skin. It was a very strange sensation.
"This works way better than body wash!" Cheng Tian exclaimed.
He soaked for about an hour, until the bathwater had nearly gone cold, before finally getting out.
His parents had already taken Yamper off to bed. Cheng Tian took two bottles of fresh milk from the fridge and opened them himself, one for Froakie and one for him.
Cheng Tian tipped up his bottle and started chugging. Froakie paused at the sight, then picked up his own milk and began gulping it down, too.
"Ah~ Drinking a bottle of cold milk after a hot bath really is the most wonderful thing in the world!" Cheng Tian sighed.
Returning to his room with Froakie, Cheng Tian lay down on the bed and opened his phone to check the notices in his class group chat. Finding nothing urgent, he opened a video site.
"Come here, Froakie. Let me show you the ninjas among humans," Cheng Tian told him with an air of mystery.
"Froak?" Froakie's curiosity was instantly piqued, and he jumped onto the bed to watch with Cheng Tian.
What Cheng Tian had put on was none other than one of his favorite anime besides Pokémon: Naruto Shippuden. (Note, not Boruto!)
Froakie and Cheng Tian watched with great interest. When the protagonists conjured dozens of shadow clones with a "poof," Froakie's eyes went wide. These are human ninjas?
They're so strong!
After watching five episodes at 1.25 times speed, Cheng Tian yawned, feeling a little sleepy. "Let's stop here for today."
He had only just closed his eyes when he suddenly remembered. "Oh no, I haven't finished my homework!"
With no other choice, Cheng Tian climbed out of bed to do his homework. "Aaargh, there's so much!" he wailed. Left with no alternative, he sent Bai Yun a message asking him to take some photos.
Bai Yun's reply came quickly. Along with the homework, there was another photo.
In the picture, Bai Yun was holding a little red monkey. Cheng Tian recognized the Pokémon at a glance.
One of the starter Pokémon, Chimchar.
Orange Peel: So cute. Your dad gave you that one, right?
My Wife Miku: Yep, I picked it up at the Pokémon Center tonight.
My Wife Miku: I'll show you at school tomorrow.
Orange Peel: Sure, the two little ones can get to know each other. Looking forward to it.jap.
After hurriedly copying the homework, Cheng Tian returned to bed and settled into a comfortable position. He pulled Froakie into his arms.
"Froak?" Froakie hadn't quite caught on.
Cheng Tian chuckled. "It's perfectly normal for family to sleep together, isn't it?"
Froakie felt very warm in Cheng Tian's arms.
Is this what family feels like?
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