I'd Rather Sneak a Photo of That Pokémon

Email wasn't commonly used in Donghuang. Aside from assorted spam and game notifications, Xin Mu currently had only two contacts in his inbox.

His thesis advisor and Ash.

His graduation thesis had already been finished before he officially crossed over, so that left only Ash.

And, unsurprisingly, the sender was indeed Ash.

In short, the email said that Pikachu had been examined at the Pokémon Center and was perfectly healthy. Ash had already booked a battlefield there and wanted to know whether Xin Mu had time for a battle that evening.

His passion for battling, the excitement of a new region, and the special significance of his first opponent there all made Ash eager to finish his battle with Xin Mu.

"A boy who lives for battles... He's so straightforward..."

Ash had eyes for nothing but battling, and becoming a Pokémon Master had always been the dream he held fast to.

He had suffered countless defeats, but he was still advancing toward his dream, challenging Gyms, entering tournaments, and climbing his way up, step by step.

"Making the most of his youth..."

Although he had come to this Pokémon world, Xin Mu knew very well that his own goals weren't as simple as Ash's. Even when they did the same things, he was more interested in what he stood to gain.

There were things you had to do while you were young, because once you got older, you might lose interest.

Xin Mu patted his cheeks and cleared the jumble of thoughts from his mind.

The past was the past, and the present was the present. Doing what he wanted was itself part of making his dreams come true. His goals just weren't quite so grand.

"Meownei, get ready. Tonight, we're going to battle that boy and his Pikachu."

"Meow? Meow? (Pikachu? What's there to prepare for against an unevolved Electric-type Pokémon?)"

"That Pikachu is pretty special, and we haven't had a proper battle in ages. We need to get back into shape."

The battle during the exam hadn't put them under any pressure. It hadn't even counted as a proper battle, and there were plenty of things they hadn't tested. Xin Mu intended to use his battle with Ash's Pikachu to get properly acquainted with the process.

Overwhelming opponents with a level advantage was fine for crushing weaklings, but against an evenly matched opponent, poor commands might just hold his Pokémon back.

As for Pikachu's strength...

Xin Mu didn't know whether Pikachu had gone into reset mode after arriving in Donghuang. Whether it was currently the almighty Pikachu or just an ordinary Pikachu was probably something even Ash didn't know.

"Meow! (I can just use Frenzy Plant or Flower Trick!)"

Although Meowscarada was better at physical moves, its Special Attack was respectable too. As the most powerful move in the Grass-type starter Pokémon's move pool, Frenzy Plant packed quite a punch.

With the same-type bonus, it would deal considerable damage even without a type advantage.

"Follow my instructions this time. If we run into a tricky opponent later and you think my commands don't make sense, you can make your own decisions."

Xin Mu wasn't sure how good he actually was at giving commands. Pokémon battles weren't the simple turn-based affairs of handheld games. The situation changed every moment.

Even Toxic Spikes, which only took effect when an opposing Pokémon entered the field, could be used as an unconventional form of attack and triggered repeatedly in a short span of time.

Then there were all the Pokémon's extraordinary abilities: Rapidash could accelerate to 240 kilometers per hour in ten seconds, Arcanine could run ten thousand kilometers in a day, and Dragonite could circle the globe in a single day.

In battle, those speeds would be nearly impossible for the human eye to follow.

Wrong or delayed commands were far from uncommon, and commands like those could cause an instant defeat.

With enough battle experience, the Pokémon fighting would have a better understanding of what to do.

That was why Xin Mu wanted to test things and determine which approach would produce better results in any emergencies that might arise.

If Ash had been reset along with Pikachu, that would be one thing. If not, his practical experience far outstripped Xin Mu's.

Although Xin Mu had all sorts of tactics in his head and understood how to build rain teams and sandstorm teams, without actual experience, it was all just theory.

The Pokémon Center was some distance away. After getting ready, Xin Mu took Meownei to the subway station.

Pokémon that were too heavy, had flames on their bodies, gave off unpleasant odors, or otherwise affected safety or the travel environment had to be kept inside their Poké Balls while riding the subway.

Because of Meownei's size, Xin Mu had to buy an extra ticket. Some rather bizarre things happened on the subway, too.

Xin Mu's school was in the suburbs, and he boarded at the first station on the line, so there were plenty of seats.

Pokémon like Meownei, who had their own tickets, were also allowed to occupy a seat.

At first, Xin Mu was just scrolling through his phone. Some videos in this world resembled what he remembered, while others were... downright bizarre.

For instance, four Go experts had challenged a single Metagross at once, only for it to beat all four of them. This Pokémon supposedly possessed the computing power of four supercomputers, putting it well beyond humans. There just weren't many Metagross around.

The most popular videos were still Pokémon competitions. Even replays of past events had considerable view counts.

As the subway continued on its way, more passengers gradually filled the carriage.

When an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties boarded, Xin Mu was about to offer his seat, but Meownei held him down. Then Meownei stood up quite naturally and settled onto Xin Mu's lap.

"Your Pokémon is very close to you. That brings back memories..."

The old gentleman seemed rather talkative. After sitting beside them, he began recounting the glorious days of his youth.

"What about your Pokémon, then?"

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea. I'm just too old to hold it now. That little fellow will probably outlive me. Here, take a look if you don't believe me."

As he spoke, he opened his pocket watch. Inside were two photos: one of a young boy with a Squirtle, and another of his elderly self with a Blastoise.

Ninetales lived a thousand years; Wartortle lived ten thousand. It was a familiar saying.

In other words, a well-cared-for Squirtle could outlive who knew how many people.

As for being unable to hold it...

Never mind an elderly person-even a young person would struggle to hold a Blastoise.

"Meow~"

"You're not heavy. A Meowscarada only weighs thirty kilograms on average. Even if you got a fair bit chubbier, I'd still be able to hold you."

"Meow!"

"Ah, to be young..."

The old gentleman beside them seemed to start reminiscing about his youth again, and accidentally dropped the phone in his hand.

His senior-friendly phone was sturdy enough, but when he picked it up, he landed himself in a heap of trouble. Someone nearby insisted that he had been secretly taking photos of them.

Although he eventually proved his innocence by showing his photo gallery, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Finally, he turned toward Xin Mu, who was watching the drama from the sidelines:

"You can question my character, but not my taste! I'm old, not blind!

You're not even as good-looking as this young man's Pokémon. Why would I sneak photos of you?!"

That remark turned the argument into a physical fight. In the end, Officer Jenny took both of them away. Xin Mu never learned how it turned out.