Chapter 12: Ralts

4:30 in the afternoon.

The wild Pokémon ecological survey officially concluded.

After a full day of hiking, Hu Yang was utterly exhausted. He ate dinner in the cafeteria and returned to his dormitory, falling asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. Thus, he failed to notice the small white figure that quietly poked its head out of his backpack as he slept.

“Caw?”

The Ancient Moon Bird slowly turned its head, its vacant gaze locking onto the Ralts perched on the desk.

Ralts swiftly ducked back inside the backpack.

The Ancient Moon Bird tilted its head in confusion.

After a long moment of silence with no further movement outside, Ralts cautiously revealed half its head, nervously observing the surroundings.

Once certain that the Ancient Moon Bird posed no threat, it floated to its familiar spot on the bed and closed its eyes.

Ralts breathed a sigh of relief, gently levitated itself from the backpack with its psychic power, and gazed with excitement and curiosity at the human belongings scattered about.

It drifted to the desk, reached out a tiny hand, and poked at the lamp.

“Click!”

Its hand pressed a button, and with a crisp click, bright light instantly illuminated the desk.

Ralts' body froze; with a flicker, it vanished from sight.

The person on the bed remained motionless.

Ralts' tense heart eased again.

It returned to the desk, sat atop a pile of books, and leisurely swung its legs.

Its gaze drifted to the human boy sleeping on the bed.

—

In the dead of night, Hu Yang was startled awake by a sudden noise.

Opening his eyes, he saw a humanoid Gardevoir appearing in his room.

Not far from it, a dejected Ralts hung its head in misery, reminiscent of a little girl caught sneaking out by her mother and scolded.

Hu Yang: ???

Was something happening that he didn’t know about?

Gardevoir’s eyes were filled with stern emotion.

Hu Yang instinctively activated his ability on it.

[Species: Gardevoir ♂]
Type: Psychic, Fairy
Ability: Telepathy
Base Stats: 518 (HP: 68, Attack: 65, Defense: 65, Special Attack: 125, Special Defense: 115, Speed: 80)
Moves Known: Psychic, Teleport, Double Team, Moonblast, Wish, Calm Mind, Psyshock, Future Sight
Current Emotion: Angry
Physical State: Perfect

Friendship Level: 1 (barely any)

Gardevoir... Ralts...

Could they be the pair he’d met before?

Hu Yang then focused on Ralts.

[Species: Ralts ♀]
Type: Psychic, Fairy
Ability: Trace
Base Stats: 198 (HP: 28, Attack: 25, Defense: 25, Special Attack: 45, Special Defense: 35, Speed: 40)
Moves Known: Growl, Double Team, Psychic, Teleport
Current Emotion: Aggrieved
Physical State: Perfect
Friendship Level: 40 (She sees you as a hero descending from the heavens)

Hu Yang confirmed it: this Ralts was the one he’d encountered previously.

He didn’t dare move—Gardevoir’s presence was overwhelmingly powerful, clearly a level sixty-plus Pokémon.

Mother and daughter—no, more accurately, father and daughter. This Gardevoir was male.

The pair faced each other, seemingly communicating through mental telepathy.

After a long silence, Ralts let out a plaintive cry, shuffled over to Gardevoir, cast a sorrowful glance at Hu Yang, and in the next instant, both vanished from the room.

Hu Yang was utterly confused.

He’d only taken a nap—had he missed something?

Judging by Gardevoir’s anger, it seemed Ralts had sneaked out again.

But how did she end up in his dormitory?

Could it be that, after he serendipitously saved her, she wished to be captured like in the anime?

Such things were normal in anime, but experiencing it himself left Hu Yang feeling incredulous.

He belatedly realized he’d missed something important.

But thinking carefully, even if Ralts was willing, Gardevoir might not consent.

Hu Yang sensed a deep dislike for humans in Gardevoir.

If he wanted to capture Ralts, getting past Gardevoir would be no easy task.

Unless he could win over both Ralts and Gardevoir at the same time.

But… capturing both father and daughter felt rather odd.

He certainly couldn’t defeat Gardevoir now—unless he sacrificed himself, triggering Ancient Moon Bird’s automatic protection.

Hu Yang felt regret, but Ancient Moon Bird didn’t give him much time to dwell on it.

The next morning, seeing a struggling Pikachu in Ancient Moon Bird’s beak, Hu Yang felt a thousand wild horses stampeding through his mind.

“Let it go!” Hu Yang cried in alarm.

But it was already too late.

That Pikachu had been docile before, but now chose to resist.

“Pika—chu!”

With a full-throated cry, a powerful surge of electricity erupted from Pikachu’s body.

Lightning flashed, filling the entire room. This time, Hu Yang truly felt numb all over.

“Caw!”

Ancient Moon Bird opened its beak wide, and Pikachu seized the moment, wriggling free and leaping out, glaring warily at the ancient bird.

Thunderbolt ended; Ancient Moon Bird remained unscathed, but Hu Yang was in dire straits.

Surprisingly, after enduring Thunderbolt, he hadn’t fainted!

Perhaps humans in this world were indeed a special kind of Pokémon?

In truth, most of the attack’s power had been absorbed by Ancient Moon Bird, leaving Hu Yang only a negligible trickle of electricity.

“Pikachu!”

At that moment, a startled voice came from outside.

“Pika pi!”

Pikachu’s ears twitched, and it quickly leapt out the open window.

Hu Yang, scorched and limp on the floor, muttered weakly, “Don’t bring back any more strange things from outside!”

Ancient Moon Bird replied dully, “Caw.”

Hu Yang was at his wit’s end.

The door was pushed open, and a girl carrying Pikachu rushed in, anxiously looking at the blackened man on the floor. “Teacher Little Yang, are you alright?”

Hu Yang exhaled, looking at the newcomer—it was a student from another class he taught. “I’ll be fine once the paralysis wears off.”

Five minutes later.

Hu Yang was back to normal, listening as the girl explained, “I was playing with Pikachu by the river when this Pokémon flew over, grabbed Pikachu, and flew away.”

Hu Yang apologized with a bitter smile, “I’m so sorry, it was my fault for not keeping an eye on my Pokémon.”

“As long as everyone’s okay.” The girl hugged Pikachu in relief. “Then, Teacher Little Yang, I’ll head back now!”

Hu Yang personally saw her out, then returned to his room to face the vacant stare of Ancient Moon Bird.

Ancient Moon Bird tilted its head, “Caw?”

Hu Yang: “……”

Yesterday it brought back a Magikarp, today a Pikachu—what would it bring tomorrow? He didn’t dare imagine!

If this kept up, perhaps one day it would drag home a little Kyogre.

“Sigh…” Hu Yang sighed deeply.

It seemed he’d have to limit Ancient Moon Bird’s time outside its Poké Ball.