Under the watchful eyes of Mo Yu, his daughter, and Fraxure, the off-road vehicle started up once more.
After evolving from Axew into Fraxure, its weight had more than doubled, and it now stood just over a meter tall.
Even so, it was still a little too short. Standing on tiptoe in the back seat of the SUV, Gible still couldn't keep Fraxure fully in view.
After all, Gible was only about as tall as Axew had once been.
But that was enough.
"Gah-ao! Gah-ao!"
Gible kept waving its little stubby arms at Fraxure, saying goodbye one last time.
As Fraxure gradually shrank into the distance, Gible's mood slowly sank with it.
Partings were always bittersweet.
It sounded a little melodramatic, perhaps.
After all, everyone knew this was only another educational journey for Chen Mo. It wasn't as though they would never return to Anping City again.
But for Gible, who had only recently been born, and for Fraxure, who had spent its entire life in the Axew settlement until recently...
This was the first farewell either of them had ever experienced.
That was precisely why, after noticing how downcast Fraxure had become, Chen Mo had encouraged Gible to go say goodbye personally—and thank it as well.
After all...
For the sake of Gible's safety, Fraxure had gone through countless hardships to obtain the Dragon Fang.
"Gah-ao..."
At last, Fraxure disappeared completely from sight.
Gible slowly lowered its tiny arms, staring blankly toward where its friend had vanished. Only after a long while did it quietly sit back down, its face filled with disappointment.
Holding the camera the entire time, Gengar faithfully recorded the scene.
The livestream chat was equally emotional.
[The more I learn about Pokémon, the more I realize how pure-hearted they are. That's exactly why I've gradually fallen in love with them. Thank you, Teacher Mo, for introducing them to us so quickly.]
[Little Gible was bouncing around happily a moment ago, and now it's completely deflated because of saying goodbye. Teacher Mo, aren't you going to comfort it?]
[Comfort what? Gible's basically a four- or five-year-old kid mentally. Kids bounce back fast. It'll be fine soon enough.]
[Even so, seeing little Gible sad makes me feel awful. As someone who watched every match of the Pikachu Cup, it's my favorite Pokémon.]
[Same. During the Pikachu Cup, every other Pokémon had its Trainer beside it, but little Gible fought alone from beginning to end. And no, I'm not criticizing Teacher Gengar—I just felt really bad for Gible. Every time it struggled to beat another opponent with Sand Tomb, then stood alone on the battlefield afterward... honestly, I was a little upset with Teacher Mo.]
[I know Teacher Mo was busy during the Pikachu Cup and couldn't always look after Gible, but still... you jerk, Teacher Mo! Go comfort little Gible already!]
There was no need for the chat to remind him.
Knowing Gible's personality better than anyone, Chen Mo had already prepared a solution.
After telling Gible that, during this trip, whenever it wanted, he would do his best to contact Mo Yu so it could video chat with Fraxure...
Gible's spirits quickly improved.
That was one of the blessings of living in the modern age.
No matter how far apart two friends might be, staying connected was easier than ever.
Still...
After all those emotional ups and downs, Gible no longer had the energy to play around with Pikachu.
Besides, the little shark hadn't really slept the previous night, too excited about the trip to get any proper rest.
Watching the scenery outside the window while listening to the steady hum of the engine...
It wasn't long before Gible drifted off to sleep.
"Pika, pika."
"Alright, I know."
After Pikachu quietly informed him that Gible had fallen asleep, Chen Mo closed the window again.
He then asked Gengar to take out a small blanket and handed it to Pikachu, who carefully tucked Gible in.
After all, Gible as a species was especially sensitive to the cold.
And with a Ghost-type like Gengar inside the vehicle, the temperature stayed relatively low despite it being summer.
A few precautions were only natural.
Pokémon could catch colds too.
The vehicle soon fell completely silent.
Without anyone to play with—and needing to keep quiet—Pikachu spent a while watching the scenery before curling up beside Gible and gradually falling asleep as well.
Seeing the two through the rearview mirror, Chen Mo gazed toward the brilliant blue sky stretching ahead.
Clouds drifted endlessly overhead.
The atmosphere inside the car was peaceful and tranquil.
A small smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
What Chen Mo hadn't expected...
Was just how deeply the two little ones would sleep.
Especially Gible.
When they stopped at noon for lunch, Chen Mo went over to wake it.
The sleepy little shark merely mumbled a couple of sleepy noises...
Rolled over...
And went right back to sleep.
Good grief.
Chen Mo was beginning to wonder whether Gible had actually slept at all after he told it to go rest the previous night.
"...Forget it."
Shaking his head, he released Pidgeotto, Absol, and Magikarp.
After one human and five Pokémon finished a simple lunch, everyone enjoyed some free time before continuing their journey around two in the afternoon.
They drove the entire afternoon.
By the time evening approached...
"Gah-ao..."
Gible was dreaming.
It dreamed that, during this long-awaited adventure, it met countless new friends.
It experienced exciting adventures.
Collected countless treasures.
Returned safely to Anping City alongside Chen Mo, Absol, Pikachu, and the rest of its family.
And at the very end...
It gave every treasure it had collected to its best friend, Fraxure.
Fraxure looked incredibly happy.
And Gible was happy too.
"Gah-ao..."
As it slowly woke up, Gible was still savoring that wonderful dream.
But the moment it sat upright—
It saw several pairs of eyes staring directly at it through the open car door.
"...Gah?"
Looking at Chen Mo, Pikachu, and Gengar—who was still holding the camera but wore an unusually solemn expression—
Gible's heart immediately tightened.
Just like the many adventures in its dream, Gible already knew roughly what Chen Mo's previous journeys had involved.
Most trips were safe...
But there was always a chance of encountering dangerous wild Pokémon.
Danger...
Had it finally come?
Gible panicked slightly.
Although it had fought many battles during the Pikachu Cup...
Those had all been official matches.
Both sides fought with everything they had—but always knew when to stop.
Wild Pokémon were different.
Fraxure, Chen Mo, Absol, Pikachu...
Every one of them had warned Gible countless times how dangerous they could be.
Even someone as innocent as Gible understood that much.
"Gah?" (Where's the enemy?)
Having already steeled itself mentally, Gible immediately entered battle mode.
It would fight.
It would stand alongside its companions.
No matter what happened—
They would face it together.
At that moment, the silent Chen Mo finally spoke.
"Calm down, Gible."
"There aren't any enemies here."
"Gah?"
Gible tilted its head in confusion.
No enemies?
Then why does everyone look so serious?
"There may not be any enemies..."
"But Gible, there's something extremely unfortunate—something truly terrifying—that we have to tell you."
Chen Mo wore an exceptionally grave expression.
Gible instantly became nervous.
What could possibly be scarier than running into enemies?
"Today... is August 14th."
Chen Mo quietly stated the date.
Pikachu hurriedly added,
"Pika, pika."
(We're really sorry. We tried to wake you several times, but you were sleeping so deeply that nothing worked.)
Then Gengar delivered the finishing blow.
"Geh-heh, geh-heh."
(Gible... it's already been a month. Our journey ends today. Chen Mo says we're going home tomorrow.)
At first, hearing the date alone didn't mean much.
Gible barely understood calendars.
But Pikachu's explanation made something feel wrong.
And Gengar's final sentence...
Was absolutely devastating.
Gible stood frozen inside the SUV.
Only one sentence echoed repeatedly inside its mind.
Going home...
We're going home tomorrow...
But...
I haven't done anything yet...
There hadn't been any thrilling adventures.
It hadn't made lots of new friends.
It hadn't even found a gift for Fraxure.
The journey it had spent the entire previous night eagerly anticipating...
Was already over?
A cool breeze drifted by.
Gible felt as though its heart—
Its entire body—
Had shattered into countless tiny fragments before being carried away by the wind.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Pika pika~!"
"Kyahaha!"
Laughter suddenly erupted from in front of it.
Gible barely managed to recover its senses.
But what it saw next...
Made it feel even more wronged.
Sure, oversleeping had been its own fault...
But...
Standing in front of the SUV...
Chen Mo, Pikachu, and Gengar were enthusiastically clapping and celebrating each other as though they'd just accomplished some great achievement.
Behind them, the camera faithfully captured everything.
The livestream exploded.
[Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Teacher Mo, I never imagined you'd be such an unbelievably evil Trainer! One second of silence for little Gible.]
[Why only one second?]
[Because I'll spend the rest of the time laughing my head off.]
[Teacher Mo, please be human! Look at poor little Gible—you've completely broken it! Where's your responsibility as a Trainer? Where's your kindness? I've misjudged you!... Though seeing Gible looking so confused and wronged really is adorable.]
[When Teacher Mo first said he wanted to punish Gible for staying up all night instead of sleeping, I honestly felt bad for Gible. Kids get too excited to sleep—that's not really something you can force. But... yeah, Gible's reaction was just way too cute!]
[It's been a long time since we've seen Teacher Mo laugh this happily. Gible really has brought a lot more joy to the family.]
[Doctor: "Gible, your Trainer only has a mild cold. There's no need to..." Gible: "I consent to organ donation!"]
[LMAO.]
Eventually...
Even Absol couldn't take it anymore.
It barked sharply at Chen Mo, Pikachu, and Gengar.
The trio immediately stopped laughing and hurried over to explain.
But by then...
Gible's heart had already shattered.
Without even looking at them, it ran straight into Absol's embrace.
It didn't want to talk to those three anymore.
And it certainly didn't want to fight beside them anymore.
"...Looks like we overdid it."
Chen Mo scratched his head before turning toward Gengar.
"Gengar."
"Since your line hurt Gible the most... tonight's barbecue is your responsibility."
"You'll grill meat for Gible until it forgives us."
"Geh?"
Gengar immediately whipped its head around.
Yesterday, while cleaning up the grill, Chen Mo had clearly promised:
Chen Mo would grill.
Gengar would eat.
How had that suddenly become...
Gengar grills while Gible eats?
"I already said your line dealt the biggest emotional damage."
"If we'd stuck to the original plan, Gible would've only been upset instead of completely ignoring us."
"So you're mainly responsible."
"Of course, Pikachu and I are guilty too. We'll help."
Chen Mo spoke with a perfectly straight face.
Gengar listened carefully.
...That actually made sense.
Originally, they had only planned to tell Gible that half the trip had already passed.
Just enough to scare it a little.
But when it became Gengar's turn to speak...
It had instinctively decided making things even more dramatic would be funnier.
So "halfway through the trip" had become...
"We're going home tomorrow."
And...
It had emotionally annihilated poor Gible.
...I really am mostly responsible, aren't I?
Still...
Something felt a little suspicious.
Under Chen Mo's steady gaze, Gengar finally nodded miserably.
Plans rarely survived reality.
Because Gible had slept all day, Chen Mo deliberately drove more slowly.
As a result, they failed to reach the town where they had originally planned to spend the night.
Fortunately...
That wasn't a problem.
Chen Mo had prepared for camping long ago.
His previous journeys had been much the same.
As long as he was with his Pokémon family...
Anywhere could become home.
Coincidentally, after a viewer recommended a campsite in chat, Chen Mo contacted them and arrived before night fully fell.
Though it wasn't as perfect as a carefully selected campground...
The gently flowing stream nearby...
The vast grassy field beneath a sky full of stars...
Were more than beautiful enough.
This was Gible's first journey.
Its first time traveling so far from home.
Alongside its excitement...
It had secretly been carrying a little anxiety.
But after Chen Mo and the others' prank...
And seeing such breathtaking scenery...
Its complicated emotions gradually settled.
Now it could simply enjoy the trip for what it was.
Soon...
Thanks to Gengar's heartfelt barbecue apology...
Gible completely forgave everyone.
After dinner, it was happily chasing Pikachu and Gengar around the grassy field again.
Even their shadows danced beneath the moonlight and campfire.
The chat had been right.
Although Gible often tried to act mature enough to help everyone...
Chen Mo felt that, at its current age...
Sometimes simply playing like a carefree child...
Was exactly what it needed most.
Leaving all worries behind.
Enjoying life to the fullest.
That...
Was the true purpose of traveling.
[People have said it before, but as a miserable office worker stuck in a nine-to-five... I really envy Teacher Mo's life.]
[I came for the Pokémon. I've secretly watched the stream all day at work, and I'm still watching after getting home. Even without any new Pokémon introductions today... this is honestly my dream life.]
[Summer vacation starts in a few days. I want to do exactly what Teacher Mo's doing and just set off on a journey.]
Sitting beside the campfire, Chen Mo read the scrolling comments.
He had a feeling...
The audience's patience was almost at its limit.
But...
Not yet.
They still had to wait a little longer.
After gathering his thoughts, he slowly spoke.
"Right now, the government is working hard to develop designated wilderness zones."
"I fully support camping in approved safe areas."
"But when it comes to traveling farther into the wild... I think everyone should think very carefully."
"Especially if you don't have a Pokémon companion."
"Why?"
"Some longtime viewers probably already remember this, but newer viewers who only recently accepted Pokémon might not."
"So I'd like to explain it clearly."
"And by the way—"
"The Bureau has emphasized this many times through official announcements."
"Please pay attention to those notices."
"First... everyone knows there are humans in the Pokémon world."
"But humans there have physical abilities vastly superior to ours."
"I'll give one simple example."
"A healthy Pikachu using a normal-strength Thunderbolt..."
"A person from our world couldn't survive that."
"But an average human from the Pokémon world?"
"They'd usually suffer only minor injuries."
"Some of the tougher ones would get right back up afterward as though nothing had happened."
"It sounds unbelievable."
"But it's true."
"The Pokémon who arrived in our world have only been here for about a year."
"Many wild Pokémon still subconsciously view humans the way they did in their original world."
"They assume your bodies are just as durable."
"And that's incredibly dangerous."
"A wild Pokémon may have absolutely no intention of hurting you."
"But acting on that mistaken assumption..."
"One casual gesture..."
"Could leave you critically injured."
"That's exactly why the government has never withdrawn its warning against entering the wilderness alone."
The livestream instantly erupted.
Many viewers who had been planning outdoor adventures suddenly felt chills run down their spines.
[Thanks for the warning, Teacher Mo. I'm going to reread every official notice from the Bureau.]
[I knew Pokémon-world humans were strong, but I had no idea they could tank Thunderbolt and keep walking around afterward. Are they superheroes?!]
[Seriously ridiculous. At that level of durability, I'd believe they could physically wrestle Pokémon into submission.]
[I've always wanted to travel and meet wild Pokémon up close... but hearing that honestly scared me.]
[We've discussed this a lot on the Pokémon Battle forums. For newcomers inspired by the Pikachu Cup and Teacher Mo's streams, the safest approach is to visit one of the government's designated zones first. Catch a Pokémon there. Those areas have already been confirmed to be safe. Once you have a Pokémon companion, you can travel much more safely under its protection.]
[And preferably catch a strong Pokémon. The stronger it is, the safer you'll be.]
[That sounds like a lot of trouble...]
[Then don't travel. This isn't a game—you don't get a second life if something goes wrong.]
"You don't need to be too pessimistic."
"Since Pokémon arrived in our world... humans have also been changing."
"Our bodies are gradually becoming stronger."
"Older viewers have probably noticed that they're healthier now than they were a year ago."
"So perhaps..."
"In another ten or twenty years..."
"We'll all become little superheroes ourselves."
Seeing the timing was right, Chen Mo continued.
"And one more thing."
"It's not absolutely necessary to obtain a Pokémon in one of those designated areas."
"Before long..."
"The government will launch a very special event."
"If you're interested in Pokémon..."
"You should prepare yourselves."
"As for what it is..."
"I won't spoil it."
"It's still confidential."
"And besides..."
"If I tell you now..."
"It won't be a surprise anymore."
"Well then."
"It's getting late."
"That concludes today's stream."
"I've been driving all day, and we'll be back on the road tomorrow."
"I hope everyone understands."
With a wave goodbye...
Chen Mo ended the stream.
The audience reacted like readers whose favorite novel had just cliffhung at its most exciting chapter.
[Teacher Mo, please be human! You'll sleep peacefully tonight—but how are WE supposed to sleep after saying something like that?!]
[Unfollowed! This time I'm serious! We've spoiled Teacher Mo too much!]
[You seriously ended it THERE?!]
[AAARGH! Don't you dare—WAIT! He actually ended the stream?! Not even one hint?! I'm reporting this!]
[Same! Hero of Ideals my foot—he's just evil! Brothers! Report him! Show him the power of the people!]
[Fight!!!]
Even at ten o'clock that night, tens of millions of viewers were still watching.
Chen Mo's final tease left countless people unable to sleep.
Out of pure frustration...
Many really did follow the chat's suggestion.
They reported not only Chen Mo's livestream...
But also Chen Mo himself...
And every official Pokémon Home account across every platform.
Meanwhile...
Moderators working the night shift across the internet were instantly buried beneath an overwhelming flood of reports.
No one had any idea what was happening.
For a while...
The entire internet became wonderfully chaotic.
Of course...
None of that concerned Chen Mo.
He had already gone to bed, preparing for another day on the road.
The excitement belonged to everyone else.
Moonlight bathed the large tent beside the extinguished campfire.
The world was silent.
Only the gentle chorus of insects drifted through the forest.
Inside the darkness...
Gible suddenly opened its eyes.
It couldn't sleep.
Not even a little.
After sleeping almost the entire day...
There wasn't the slightest hint of drowsiness left.
All it could do was quietly listen as one companion after another fell asleep around it.
"Geh..."
Gible softly called toward the space beneath Chen Mo, hoping Gengar might still be awake.
Ghost-types didn't really need much sleep.
Unfortunately...
There was no reply.
Tonight happened to be Gengar's day off too.
With no other choice, Gible lay back down.
Closed its eyes.
And tried to force itself asleep.
But...
The harder one tried to sleep...
The more impossible it became.
That was exactly Gible's situation.
After torturing itself for another half hour...
It finally gave up.
Listening to the insects outside...
A thought suddenly appeared.
Maybe... I should go for a walk.
Once the idea formed...
Gible acted immediately.
Knowing everyone had been exhausted today—especially Chen Mo, who had concentrated on driving all day—
Gible moved with extreme care.
It slowly lifted its blanket.
Tiptoed across the tent.
Even while unzipping the entrance...
It pulled only a tiny bit at a time...
Stopping repeatedly to avoid making noise.
Finally...
After opening just enough space...
The little shark quietly slipped outside.
The sounds of insects instantly became clearer.
Their chirping rose and fell together like a beautiful symphony.
Gible glanced toward Pidgeotto, who was resting in a nearby tree.
Then carefully stepped around the simple traps Chen Mo had set around the campsite before walking farther away.
Not far ahead...
Starlight shimmered across the gently flowing stream.
Tiny points of light danced upon the water.
Standing atop a large boulder...
Gible stared blankly at the beautiful scene.
"Gah-ao..." (It's so beautiful...)
It quietly sat down.
Watching.
Enjoying.
It loved moments like this.
And...
It felt incredibly fortunate to have this life.
Here...
There was Absol, who always cared for it.
Pikachu and Gengar, who were always playing with it.
Reliable big brother Pidgeotto.
Senior Magikarp, who always encouraged it with strange words it never quite understood.
And...
The very best Trainer in the whole world.
When Gible had first hatched...
It had believed itself to be the unluckiest Pokémon alive.
But now...
It thought it was the happiest.
It loved them.
Loved traveling together.
Loved living together.
Just as Gible was quietly savoring its happiness...
Something suddenly flashed through the corner of its eye.
A pink figure darted swiftly through the stream.
Instantly—
Gible snapped back to reality.
It fixed a cautious gaze upon the pink silhouette.
Rule Number One when traveling: Safety comes first.
That was the very first lesson Chen Mo had taught it before setting out.
Gible hesitated.
Should it go wake Pidgeotto first?
But then...
It noticed something.
The pink figure kept bobbing up and down in the water.
As though searching for something.
Judging from its round body...
It clearly wasn't an aquatic Pokémon.
Pink.
Round.
Gible immediately thought of the Chansey family that had healed it so many times before.
After hesitating for a moment...
It carefully stepped a little closer.
This time...
Thanks to its naturally keen senses...
It detected a familiar energy signature radiating from the round little Pokémon.
One that felt...
Dangerous.
Yes.
There was no mistake.
During the Pikachu Cup preliminaries...
It had once battled a Snubbull.
Although Snubbull hadn't been strong enough to use Fairy-type moves then...
The faint energy occasionally leaking from this Pokémon...
Was unmistakably Fairy-type.
Because Fairy-types naturally countered Dragon-types...
Gible was extremely sensitive to that kind of energy.
There was no way it could be wrong.
"Gah-ao..." (A Fairy-type Pokémon...)
Feeling threatened, Gible instinctively took a step backward.
Now that it was close enough...
It could clearly see the Pokémon wasn't a Chansey.
Its experience from the Pikachu Cup had taught it one invaluable lesson:
Always be cautious.
Just then...
The pink Pokémon suddenly burst from the water.
Bathed in moonlight...
It excitedly raised a small blue-green stone high into the air with one tiny arm.
The instant Gible saw it—
It turned around and bolted.
Its sudden movement immediately caught the pink Pokémon's attention.
The Pokémon turned its head...
Revealing an adorably round pink face.
Watching Gible disappear into the distance in a cloud of dust...
It tilted its head in confusion and let out a clear, innocent cry.
"Clefairy?"
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