Diligent and eager to learn might not have been words that suited Squirtle, but under very particular circumstances, he could show that side of himself.
Seeing how interested Squirtle was, Xin Mu granted his wish. He picked up a cushion from the sofa, sat cross-legged in front of Squirtle, and held Snorlax's Sleep Philosophy in his hands.
"Remember, you asked to hear this."
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle sat up straight and even took a wet wipe from beside him to polish his shell. With his little hands neatly folded to one side, he looked ready to listen attentively.
"Let's see what this book says..."
Xin Mu opened the book and skimmed its contents first. In short, he couldn't quite understand it. Once certain things became tied to philosophy, they turned downright bewildering.
Take the first chapter, "Snorlax's Sleep and Energy Cycles," for example.
This chapter argued that sleep was not merely a process of restoring stamina, but also an important means for Pokémon to resonate with natural energy. Squirtle's eyes were wide and round, and the tip of his tail curled up slightly, showing that he was trying hard to concentrate.
But his bewildered gaze was enough to prove that he didn't understand either.
"Research shows that, during deep sleep, the efficiency of cellular regeneration in Pokémon increases significantly..."
Before he had even finished reading the first page, Xin Mu noticed Squirtle's head beginning to droop, little by little.
"...Squirtle?"
"Zzz-"
A long, drawn-out snore answered Xin Mu. Squirtle seemed to have demonstrated how to fall asleep in under a minute.
"You little..."
Squirtle had been the one clamoring to listen, and Squirtle was also the one who had fallen asleep. Seeing that he seemed to have slipped into deep sleep, Xin Mu rolled the book up.
"Time to wake up!"
Xin