His thoughts returned to the present.
Watching Sprigatito, who had just finished eating but still seemed hungry for more, Xia Chi suddenly said, "Sprigatito, be my Pokémon!"
This wasn't some spur-of-the-moment whim brought on by awakening his system.
Even without the system bro that had suddenly appeared today, Xia Chi had been planning to invite Sprigatito.
Unlike when they first met, he now had a little money saved up after several months of making videos and livestreaming. It was more than enough to support a Sprigatito.
Not to mention that Xia Chi now had a system backing him up, making him practically a cheater.
Of course, those were all secondary factors.
Most importantly, he really liked Sprigatito.
Both in personality and looks, this little cat was exactly to the taste of Xia Chi, a devout member of the cat-worshipping faith.
As for being abandoned by a Trainer and labeled "useless"?
Xia Chi hadn't cared much about that to begin with. After all, he wasn't aiming to become a Pokémon Master.
And now? Was that something a bona fide cheater like me needed to worry about?
So he extended his invitation.
This direct pitch, which Xia Chi had planned for ages, stunned Sprigatito. The tongue licking Moomoo Cream Cheese Sauce from around the little cat's mouth froze in place, tempting anyone watching to indulge the wicked urge to grab it and tug.
It took quite a while for Sprigatito to recover. Eyes wide, the little cat asked as if seeking confirmation, "Meow-mrr?"
Xia Chi nodded with a smile. "Or, to put it another way, how about I become your Trainer?"
Once Sprigatito snapped out of the shock, the little cat instinctively wanted to shake a head in refusal. But seeing Xia Chi's earnest expression, Sprigatito hesitated.
Xia Chi wasn't surprised by the reaction.
Their time together had taught him this little cat's temperament. Being abandoned, combined with an already somewhat prickly personality, had resulted in an "avoidant attachment meow-style."
In other words, Sprigatito had trouble accepting kindness from others.
Even their regular nightly meals together had only become an unspoken agreement after Xia Chi spent a long time working at it.
But Sprigatito's hesitation wasn't resistance. It was fear.
Fear of forming a close relationship with a human again, and the subconscious fear of perhaps being abandoned once more.
So Xia Chi needed to give Sprigatito a reason.
"Do you remember when we first met, Sprigatito?"
"Meow-mrr?"
Sprigatito paused, then recalled the pitiful sight of Xia Chi on the verge of exhaustion that day.
"You were the first friend I made after coming here, and you're my most treasured companion. You saved me back then, so I want to change things for you, too."
Xia Chi's voice suddenly grew firm as he looked straight at Sprigatito.
"Sprigatito, you don't want to leave that stage behind just like this, do you?"
Just as Xia Chi had said before, he understood this little cat whose heart was wrapped in thorns.
Being abandoned hadn't broken Sprigatito's pride or spirit. Instead, it had made the little cat all the more determined to stand strong.
Both Sprigatito's solitary lifestyle and refusal to yield to the Mankey's bullying proved that.
The desire to grow stronger was still there, perhaps even stronger than before.
That single brief question from Xia Chi struck straight at Sprigatito's heart.
Did I miss that stage?
The question lingered in Sprigatito's mind for less than half a second before disappearing.
The answer was, of course, yes.
Sprigatito loved the blood-pumping struggle of the battlefield.
In fact, most Pokémon were naturally inclined to fight.
Given the chance to step onto the battlefield again, Sprigatito would never refuse.
As for whether Xia Chi would make a good Trainer?
That wasn't even a question worth considering.
"One night with Xia Chi made me happier than all the time I spent with my previous Trainer put together."
If Sprigatito could speak, that would have been the most straightforward way to express it.
Xia Chi's personality was more than ten thousand times better than that of the guy who saw Pokémon as nothing but tools for battle.
So what was there left to hesitate over?
With that thought, Sprigatito immediately gave Xia Chi a firm nod.
"Meow-mrr!"
Xia Chi didn't understand Pokémon speech, but he understood body language.
Smiling, he held his hand out in front of Sprigatito. "Then here's to being partners from now on, Sprigatito."
Once Sprigatito made a decision, there was no dragging things out.
A pale green paw settled onto Xia Chi's outstretched hand, and a rare smile appeared on the little cat's adorable face.
"Meow-mrr!"
From now on, you're my Trainer!
[Host's first Pokémon acquisition detected. Bond system unlocked.]
The cold voice shattered the warm, lovely atmosphere.
Of course, it only did so for Xia Chi. Sprigatito couldn't hear a single sound from the system.
As he scratched his newly recruited little cat's fluffy head, Xia Chi reviewed the newly unlocked bond system in his mind.
[Current Pokémon count (1/6): Sprigatito] [Currently active bonds: 0] [Inactive bond: Grass-type (1/2). After battle begins, bonded Pokémon gain 1% physical attack, physical defense, and HP per second, up to 100%! (With a six-Grass bond, the cap increases to 200%. Upon reaching the cap, summon a Tree of Life onto the field!)] [Inactive bond: Dark type (1/2). Defeat opponents to collect Fear stacks. Every hundred Fear stacks grant 5% additional damage and one Fear Chest. Open Fear Chests to obtain rewards! (With a six-Dark bond, each victory grants double Fear stacks!)] [Inactive bond: Speed attacker (1/2). Bonded Pokémon's move power and energy consumption decrease by 30%, and move execution speed increases by 50%! (With a six-Speed bond, move power decreases by 20%, and execution speed increases by 100%!)] [Chosen Pokémon (can be activated using a [Chosen Badge]): All stats increase by 20%, gain an exclusive move enhancement, and contribute +1 to bonds!]
Xia Chi sank into thought.
Wasn't this just Teamfight Tactics' "Elderwood" and "Conqueror" traits?
System bro, weren't you afraid the Eastern Hemisphere's second-best legal department would send you a cease-and-desist for such blatant copying?
Did you really think Nanshan's undefeated legal team was just for show?
Oh, wait. This was the Pokémon world. That red-scarfed penguin had nothing to do with it.
After silently finishing his snark, Xia Chi began seriously analyzing Sprigatito's three bonds.
First was the Grass-type bond, which offered simple, straightforward boosts to several stats.
It would be excellent for defensive Grass-type Pokémon like Ferrothorn or Cradily.
Of course, the boosts to physical attack, physical defense, and HP would definitely be useful to Sprigatito as well.
The appearance of the Dark-type bond was a little strange, though.
Sprigatito was a pure Grass-type Pokémon until the third evolutionary stage.
The only explanation was that the system bro determined bonds based on a Pokémon's final form.
Either way, a scaling bond like Dark type was an even better fit for Sprigatito, who was only just starting out.
Of course, that was assuming Xia Chi and Sprigatito could pull off a "win streak and cash out."
Before you continue