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Monday.
Li Xiang got into the car arranged by Mo Ye.
Publicly, Bai Wanhua claimed he was undergoing secret training under a high-rank trainer.
Li Xiang privately told Song Jie that this person was Mo Ye but he didn't dare say much more.
And Song Jie, upon learning that Li Xiang was going to learn combat from an Elite Four member, was momentarily even happier than him. His eyebrows rose with joy as he repeatedly patted Li Xiang's shoulder.
He had a look like, "The kid's made something of himself, I'm so pleased."
It was speechless.
Su Qian and the others who had been to Mist Island understood immediately upon hearing this, since their own excuses back then were similar.
But Li Xiang going this early still surprised them greatly. According to the usual order, it should have been Zhao Jie's turn this year.
Zhao Jie herself didn't mind much; getting cut in line was fine, since it wasn't an outsider anyway.
But Bai Wanhua wouldn't let misunderstandings fester. She immediately took the initiative to explain that Li Xiang's situation was special and wouldn't affect Zhao Jie's opportunity.
Mist City University thought highly of Li Xiang, but not to the extent of taking away what others deserved just to cultivate him.
What belonged to someone was theirs.
However, Zhao Jie genuinely didn't care at all. She was completely indifferent.
This girl probably really treated Li Xiang like a younger brother, despite not being related by blood.
Li Xiang remembered Abigail mentioning that besides herself, Zhao Jie had two older sisters, one three years older and one seven years older.
And she herself especially loved having a younger brother, but unfortunately, her parents were unwilling to have more children, so she had to look elsewhere.
Helplessly, as fate would have it, she was also the youngest of her generation in the family.
With no other options, Zhao Jie could only set her sights on Anya's younger brother.
'My best friend's little brother is also my little brother, right? Look, both of us have single-character names, and our initials are even similar!'
'See?'
She was obsessed.
Anyway, after hearing this story, Li Xiang inexplicably felt that Zhao Jie might be a bit abnormal.
Mist City Conservation Base.
Located next to Mist City University, the main entrances of the two were less than a kilometer apart.
The architectural style and interior decoration were identical to Qingcheng's, clearly indicating the designer had taken the lazy route.
Arriving here, Li Xiang felt almost like he was home.
He didn't need any guidance. A single glance at the signs near the entrance was enough for him to roughly understand the interior layout.
He strode forward, taking the lead.
Mo Ye and the driver sent by the association followed behind. The former squinted his fox-like eyes, while the latter respectfully stayed half a step behind.
The similarity was too high.
Walking through the golden, brightly lit corridor, Li Xiang felt relaxed and happy, the sense of déjà vu growing stronger.
The faint floral scent in the air was so familiar.
However, this wasn't some kind of air freshener. It was the scent emitted by the flower buds of a large group of Grass-type Pokémon gathered together.
If you smelled carefully, you'd find this fragrance was quite complex.
People with a good nose could even distinguish the differences. As it happened, Li Xiang's nose was decent.
"Mmm... the scent of Liligant."
His eyes lit up slightly as he excitedly looked around. Liligant wasn't a popular Pokémon in the games, but here, it was very well-liked because the pollen it emitted had the effect of healing the heart, calming the mind, and aiding sleep.
It was remarkably effective in treating people with psychological conditions like depression, mania, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
It was said that a sad person would feel happy just by smelling its fragrance.
Incredibly powerful.
Li Xiang personally really liked this Pokémon and often urged Mrs. Yin to adopt one from the conservation base. Unfortunately, every time he said this, he would get hit by the fat cat translator.
Cats have very strong jealousy, you know.
"Ah, it really is you. I guessed as much."
A low, magnetic voice sounded, slightly familiar.
Li Xiang turned his head and first saw a shocked-looking, large, white, humanoid cat with a cool red lightning bolt marking on its face.
Then came a somewhat familiar face, chewing on a toothpick, with reddish-brown hair tied in small braids.
"Uncle Zhong!"
Li Xiang exclaimed in surprise.
The person before him was none other than Zhong Hai, who back when Litten was testing the burnt catnip had taken Li Xiang around the Ranger base.
He still remembered there was a garden there where Magearna lived, but unfortunately, it had been raining that day, so he hadn't seen her in person.
"Oh! You still remember me!"
Zhong Hai raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, since it had been nearly four years.
But the fact that Li Xiang still remembered him genuinely pleased him, though he didn't show it on his face.
He looked at Li Xiang's height, now only slightly shorter than himself, and said, "You've grown this tall? Interested in becoming a ranger?"
"I'm still in school."
Li Xiang was also very happy. After all, Zhong Hai was somewhat of an acquaintance.
"You can still do it after you graduate."
Zhong Hai nonchalantly stepped forward. He had intended to ruffle Li Xiang's hair, but after a slight pause, changed it to a shoulder pat.
His gaze passed over Li Xiang. "So you two are His Excellency, the Abyssal Elite Four member, and Secretary-General Shen."
The adults began exchanging pleasantries.
Meanwhile, they walked deeper into the conservation base.
Li Xiang, while pricking up his ears to listen, quickly approached Zangoose.
"Zangoose?"
Zangoose warily hugged its fluffy tail and took two steps towards Zhong Hai.
It still remembered this young man who showed no mercy last time.
"Just one touch, don't be so stingy." Li Xiang grinned, sidling up. "You clearly enjoyed it last time too."
"Zangoose!"
Zangoose shook its head firmly, absolutely refusing to admit that the meowing little cat from before was it.
"Oh come on, we're all so familiar now, why resist?" Li Xiang shamelessly leaned in. Seizing the moment Zangoose was distracted, he suddenly plunged his hand into its fluffy tail.
He laughed without shame, "My technique has improved again recently. I'll definitely make you feel relaxed and comfortable."
Word by word, softly spoken, accompanied by the sensation of pleasure washing over it like waves, the cool Zangoose instantly turned into a limp cat, its body going soft as it let Li Xiang have his way.
Li Xiang then picked up the over-one-meter-tall big cat without getting tired, stroking its fur as he walked.
"Zangoose."
The male cat let out an embarrassing kitten mewl, even unable to resist purring.
"Wow, this feels so soft."
Li Xiang stroked Zangoose's body, feeling like he was touching cotton, very smooth cotton at that.
How could there be such adorable creatures as cats in this world!
Of course, he didn't forget to listen to the conversation between Zhong Hai and Mo Ye.
From their brief exchange, Li Xiang learned that the person beside Mo Ye was called Shen Ni, the Secretary-General of the Mist City Association, here to observe this time.
And Zhong Hai was actually the Chief Ranger of the Ranger Union, equivalent to a Master-level trainer.
Moreover, even among Chief Rangers, Zhong Hai was one of the elite.
'Huh? This limp little cat is that strong?'
Li Xiang looked at the Zangoose in his arms in surprise. A ranger's strength generally came from both themselves and their partner Pokémon, roughly a fifty-fifty split.
If Zhong Hai was top-tier among Chief Rangers, Zangoose definitely couldn't be weak.
"Zangoose?"
Feeling the mischievous little hand on it stop moving, Zangoose looked up confusedly.
"Sorry, sorry. Continue."
Li Xiang grinned.
The four people and one cat arrived deep within the base.
The main purpose this time was Li Xiang's evaluation test, along with discussing with Mo Ye the personnel to enter Mist Island.
Li Xiang definitely had no say in that; all he had to do was take the tests.
Man and cat had to temporarily separate.
And compared to the reluctant Li Xiang himself, Zangoose, with its intelligence back in control, looked at him with shame and indignation. In all its many years, this was the first time it had suffered such humiliation.
But it had to admit, Li Xiang's technique was truly good. It was as if he knew exactly where it couldn't stand being touched, and then relentlessly attacked those spots.
Who could withstand that?
"Zangoose!"
Don't let me see you again!
Zangoose shot Li Xiang a fierce glare, thinking that if it saw this guy again, it would.
Ah! So annoying!
Zangoose clutched its beloved big tail. Li Xiang's massage technique was very methodical; it had even smoothed out all the tangles.
Phase One Test.
Li Xiang had originally thought there would be a few people surrounding him, asking questions, having him do a test paper, or something like that.
Unexpectedly, he was led into a medical room and faced a doctor in a white coat.
The familiar environment told him this was a psychologist.
"Come, sit here."
The doctor pointed to a chair that looked very soft and comfortable.
Li Xiang obediently sat down.
Very cooperatively, following the doctor's guidance, he listened to soft, soothing music, inhaled relaxing, calming scents, looked at some pictures, responded to some questions, and gradually entered a light sleep.
The doctor observed his condition, writing and drawing on a report sheet.
Occasionally, he would also move Li Xiang's limbs to assess his reactions.
Finally, he took the report outside.
"How is he?"
The person asking was Zhong Hai.
"His mental state is stable. The incident in Saizhou didn't affect him too deeply. I deliberately mentioned a few keywords and didn't get overly strong reactions."
The doctor turned to look at the groggy Li Xiang. "However, he truly loves Pokémon. I showed him a picture of an injured Pokémon locked in a cargo cage, and his reaction was significant."
"That's good."
Zhong Hai nodded with satisfaction. The most important quality for becoming a ranger was a love for Pokémon.
Being able to empathize with a Pokémon's situation as a human was what made someone a bridge between the two sides.
"On another note, he seems to lack a sense of security, feeling a strong urge to increase his strength."
The doctor adjusted his glasses. "Personally, I think it's related to the incidents with Buzzwole and in Saizhou."
After all, anyone who had narrowly escaped death twice would have a reaction.
Zhong Hai made no comment. The desire for security was an instinct, nothing much to say about it.
"In my judgment, Li Xiang is fine." The doctor concluded his report.
Zhong Hai took the report and scanned it. The doctor returned to the room to wake Li Xiang.
"Young man, we're done."
"Huh? Oh, thank you."
Li Xiang nodded. Before leaving, he couldn't resist, after obtaining the doctor's permission, petting the Gossifleur with a large yellow flower on its head, looking like a red Buddha's hand.
Seriously, so many Grass-type Pokémon were incredibly adorable.
The doctor watched Li Xiang smiling like a lovestruck fool and wondered if he had made a mistake in his report.
This wasn't just a case of liking Pokémon very much, was it?
Mist City Conservation Base.
Located next to Mist City University, the main entrances of the two were less than a kilometer apart.
The architectural style and interior decoration were identical to Qingcheng's, clearly indicating the designer had taken the lazy route.
Arriving here, Li Xiang felt almost like he was home.
He didn't need any guidance. A single glance at the signs near the entrance was enough for him to roughly understand the interior layout.
He strode forward, taking the lead.
Mo Ye and the driver sent by the association followed behind. The former squinted his fox-like eyes, while the latter respectfully stayed half a step behind.
The similarity was too high.
Walking through the golden, brightly lit corridor, Li Xiang felt relaxed and happy, the sense of déjà vu growing stronger.
The faint floral scent in the air was so familiar.
However, this wasn't some kind of air freshener. It was the scent emitted by the flower buds of a large group of Grass-type Pokémon gathered together.
If you smelled carefully, you'd find this fragrance was quite complex.
People with a good nose could even distinguish the differences. As it happened, Li Xiang's nose was decent.
"Mmm... the scent of Liligant."
His eyes lit up slightly as he excitedly looked around. Liligant wasn't a popular Pokémon in the games, but here, it was very well-liked because the pollen it emitted had the effect of healing the heart, calming the mind, and aiding sleep.
It was remarkably effective in treating people with psychological conditions like depression, mania, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
It was said that a sad person would feel happy just by smelling its fragrance.
Incredibly powerful.
Li Xiang personally really liked this Pokémon and often urged Mrs. Yin to adopt one from the conservation base. Unfortunately, every time he said this, he would get hit by the fat cat translator.
Cats have very strong jealousy, you know.
"Ah, it really is you. I guessed as much."
A low, magnetic voice sounded, slightly familiar.
Li Xiang turned his head and first saw a shocked-looking, large, white, humanoid cat with a cool red lightning bolt marking on its face.
Then came a somewhat familiar face, chewing on a toothpick, with reddish-brown hair tied in small braids.
"Uncle Zhong!"
Li Xiang exclaimed in surprise.
The person before him was none other than Zhong Hai, who back when Litten was testing the burnt catnip had taken Li Xiang around the Ranger base.
He still remembered there was a garden there where Magearna lived, but unfortunately, it had been raining that day, so he hadn't seen her in person.
"Oh! You still remember me!"
Zhong Hai raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, since it had been nearly four years.
But the fact that Li Xiang still remembered him genuinely pleased him, though he didn't show it on his face.
He looked at Li Xiang's height, now only slightly shorter than himself, and said, "You've grown this tall? Interested in becoming a ranger?"
"I'm still in school."
Li Xiang was also very happy. After all, Zhong Hai was somewhat of an acquaintance.
"You can still do it after you graduate."
Zhong Hai nonchalantly stepped forward. He had intended to ruffle Li Xiang's hair, but after a slight pause, changed it to a shoulder pat.
His gaze passed over Li Xiang. "So you two are His Excellency, the Abyssal Elite Four member, and Secretary-General Shen."
The adults began exchanging pleasantries.
Meanwhile, they walked deeper into the conservation base.
Li Xiang, while pricking up his ears to listen, quickly approached Zangoose.
"Zangoose?"
Zangoose warily hugged its fluffy tail and took two steps towards Zhong Hai.
It still remembered this young man who showed no mercy last time.
"Just one touch, don't be so stingy." Li Xiang grinned, sidling up. "You clearly enjoyed it last time too."
"Zangoose!"
Zangoose shook its head firmly, absolutely refusing to admit that the meowing little cat from before was it.
"Oh come on, we're all so familiar now, why resist?" Li Xiang shamelessly leaned in. Seizing the moment Zangoose was distracted, he suddenly plunged his hand into its fluffy tail.
He laughed without shame, "My technique has improved again recently. I'll definitely make you feel relaxed and comfortable."
Word by word, softly spoken, accompanied by the sensation of pleasure washing over it like waves, the cool Zangoose instantly turned into a limp cat, its body going soft as it let Li Xiang have his way.
Li Xiang then picked up the over-one-meter-tall big cat without getting tired, stroking its fur as he walked.
"Zangoose."
The male cat let out an embarrassing kitten mewl, even unable to resist purring.
"Wow, this feels so soft."
Li Xiang stroked Zangoose's body, feeling like he was touching cotton, very smooth cotton at that.
How could there be such adorable creatures as cats in this world!
Of course, he didn't forget to listen to the conversation between Zhong Hai and Mo Ye.
From their brief exchange, Li Xiang learned that the person beside Mo Ye was called Shen Ni, the Secretary-General of the Mist City Association, here to observe this time.
And Zhong Hai was actually the Chief Ranger of the Ranger Union, equivalent to a Master-level trainer.
Moreover, even among Chief Rangers, Zhong Hai was one of the elite.
'Huh? This limp little cat is that strong?'
Li Xiang looked at the Zangoose in his arms in surprise. A ranger's strength generally came from both themselves and their partner Pokémon, roughly a fifty-fifty split.
If Zhong Hai was top-tier among Chief Rangers, Zangoose definitely couldn't be weak.
"Zangoose?"
Feeling the mischievous little hand on it stop moving, Zangoose looked up confusedly.
"Sorry, sorry. Continue."
Li Xiang grinned.
The four people and one cat arrived deep within the base.
The main purpose this time was Li Xiang's evaluation test, along with discussing with Mo Ye the personnel to enter Mist Island.
Li Xiang definitely had no say in that; all he had to do was take the tests.
Man and cat had to temporarily separate.
And compared to the reluctant Li Xiang himself, Zangoose, with its intelligence back in control, looked at him with shame and indignation. In all its many years, this was the first time it had suffered such humiliation.
But it had to admit, Li Xiang's technique was truly good. It was as if he knew exactly where it couldn't stand being touched, and then relentlessly attacked those spots.
Who could withstand that?
"Zangoose!"
Don't let me see you again!
Zangoose shot Li Xiang a fierce glare, thinking that if it saw this guy again, it would.
Ah! So annoying!
Zangoose clutched its beloved big tail. Li Xiang's massage technique was very methodical; it had even smoothed out all the tangles.
Phase One Test.
Li Xiang had originally thought there would be a few people surrounding him, asking questions, having him do a test paper, or something like that.
Unexpectedly, he was led into a medical room and faced a doctor in a white coat.
The familiar environment told him this was a psychologist.
"Come, sit here."
The doctor pointed to a chair that looked very soft and comfortable.
Li Xiang obediently sat down.
Very cooperatively, following the doctor's guidance, he listened to soft, soothing music, inhaled relaxing, calming scents, looked at some pictures, responded to some questions, and gradually entered a light sleep.
The doctor observed his condition, writing and drawing on a report sheet.
Occasionally, he would also move Li Xiang's limbs to assess his reactions.
Finally, he took the report outside.
"How is he?"
The person asking was Zhong Hai.
"His mental state is stable. The incident in Saizhou didn't affect him too deeply. I deliberately mentioned a few keywords and didn't get overly strong reactions."
The doctor turned to look at the groggy Li Xiang. "However, he truly loves Pokémon. I showed him a picture of an injured Pokémon locked in a cargo cage, and his reaction was significant."
"That's good."
Zhong Hai nodded with satisfaction. The most important quality for becoming a ranger was a love for Pokémon.
Being able to empathize with a Pokémon's situation as a human was what made someone a bridge between the two sides.
"On another note, he seems to lack a sense of security, feeling a strong urge to increase his strength."
The doctor adjusted his glasses. "Personally, I think it's related to the incidents with Buzzwole and in Saizhou."
After all, anyone who had narrowly escaped death twice would have a reaction.
Zhong Hai made no comment. The desire for security was an instinct, nothing much to say about it.
"In my judgment, Li Xiang is fine." The doctor concluded his report.
Zhong Hai took the report and scanned it. The doctor returned to the room to wake Li Xiang.
"Young man, we're done."
"Huh? Oh, thank you."
Li Xiang nodded. Before leaving, he couldn't resist, after obtaining the doctor's permission, petting the Gossifleur with a large yellow flower on its head, looking like a red Buddha's hand.
Seriously, so many Grass-type Pokémon were incredibly adorable.
The doctor watched Li Xiang smiling like a lovestruck fool and wondered if he had made a mistake in his report.
This wasn't just a case of liking Pokémon very much, was it?