Chapter 14: The Little One with the Bib

At that moment, Gardevoir’s figure suddenly appeared from the side. Ralts froze, swiftly hiding behind Hu Yang, unable to look at Gardevoir. Hu Yang noticed Ralts’s movement and glanced at Gardevoir’s stern expression; for an instant, he felt a strange sensation as though he were abducting someone’s daughter.

No, he had no intention of taking Ralts away!

Gardevoir remained silent, and Hu Yang guessed it was communicating with Ralts through telepathy. Whatever was said, Ralts’s spirits visibly sank lower and lower. Witnessing this, Gardevoir paused, a look of reluctance and hesitation flickering in its eyes. It parted its lips, then turned its gaze to the human before it.

Hu Yang immediately straightened, his whole body taut. A genderless voice suddenly resonated in his mind: “Do you wish to take it away?”

Hu Yang was startled, then quickly realized it was Gardevoir speaking.

In the anime, the Pokédex entry for Ralts, as recited by May, described it as follows: Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon, the pre-evolved form of Kirlia, possesses the ability to sense human emotions through the horns on its head. It seldom appears before humans, but when it perceives positive feelings, it approaches of its own accord.

Its final evolution is Gardevoir, capable of forming miniature black holes bare-handed, and can even Mega Evolve. This Pokémon, with such immense potential—one that would even sacrifice its life for its Trainer—who wouldn’t desire it?

Hence, Hu Yang answered honestly, “I do.”

Gardevoir stared at him for a while, then said, “You lack the ability to protect it.”

This was the plain truth; Hu Yang had no way to refute it.

He thought that if their roles were reversed, he too would be reluctant to entrust his gentle, innocent daughter to another.

He didn’t respond, so Gardevoir turned to Ralts, asking in front of Hu Yang, “Do you truly wish to leave with this human?”

“Ral...” Ralts hesitated, feeling Gardevoir’s emotions—reluctance, sadness, and intense worry.

Gardevoir sighed softly, murmuring, “Then go and do what you wish to do.”

With that, it turned and departed alone.

“Ral...” Ralts released Hu Yang’s sleeve, standing bewildered on the spot.

Hu Yang felt like a villain, though he had done nothing wrong!

He sighed helplessly, crouching to speak with Ralts: “Your father is worried about you, so he hesitates to let you go.”

Upon reflection, Gardevoir surely understood that if Ralts left, they would seldom get a chance to meet again in the future.

Unlike the fierce love of a Braviary for its Rufflet, Gardevoir’s love for Ralts was altogether different. It protected Ralts carefully, unwilling to see it harmed, wishing to shield it by its side for a lifetime.

“Ral...” Ralts was utterly dejected.

Hu Yang comforted it: “Go after him, spend more time with your father. As for me, I’ll be staying here. If you want to find me, you can come by anytime to play.”

“Ral...” After pondering for a moment, Ralts chased after Gardevoir in the direction it had disappeared. After a few steps, it looked back at Hu Yang standing there, then used Teleport to vanish.

Hu Yang touched his nose, and, carrying Rowlet, left the riverside as well.

“Caw!”

Rowlet let out a blank cry.

Hu Yang felt like crying. If only Rowlet could follow commands, he wouldn’t be so miserable worrying about his starter Pokémon now.

Perhaps Rowlet understood his feelings, for that very night, it returned from outside carrying a Pokémon easily captured.

[Species: Budew♂]
Type: Grass, Poison
Ability: Leaf Guard
Base Stats: 280 (HP: 40, Attack: 30, Defense: 35, Special Attack: 50, Special Defense: 70, Speed: 55)
Known Moves: Absorb, Stun Spore, Seed Bomb
Current Mood: Nervous
Physical State: Tense (It’s very scared)
Friendship: 0 (None of you know each other)

Looking at the green creature curled up on the table, Hu Yang couldn’t resist poking it with his finger.

Budew, the Bud Pokémon, evolves into Roselia—an NPC favorite for blocking paths in the games—and finally into Roserade, whose Special Attack reaches a staggering 125.

Budew was terrified, trembling slightly as it eyed the fearsome bird before it.

Hu Yang: “...”

He really wanted to ask Rowlet what it had done to Budew.

To soothe (and win over) the Budew, so it would willingly let itself be caught, Hu Yang did his best to show a friendly smile and gently picked it up.

Before evolving, Budew was tiny—only about twenty centimeters tall—delicate and petite.

It had two yellow-green little legs, a body topped with an unopened flower bud, and eyes that seemed perpetually squinted, making it look rather like a baby with a bib.

“Caw?” Rowlet watched this scene in a daze.

Wait!

Hu Yang suddenly realized something: could this Budew, like that Pikachu, belong to someone else?

Not wanting to risk it before confirming Budew had no Trainer, he found a clay flowerpot, filled it with clean earth and grass, and “planted” Budew inside.

He’d read in an ecology book borrowed from the library that unevolved Budew was still young and needed nutrients from soil to grow.

Besides that, it required warm sunlight and a clean water source.

As Hu Yang watered Budew, he tried to communicate: “Little one, do you understand me?”

Under the gentle shower, Budew gradually relaxed. The slight sway of its bud showed that it now felt comfortable.

Then Hu Yang saw its friendship level jump—now up to 5 from 0.

Hm? Is it that easy?

Hu Yang raised an eyebrow.

“Nee-nee~” Budew, finally assured that this human meant no harm, responded with an adorable sound.

Hu Yang couldn’t help but be charmed.

Yet, he couldn’t understand Budew’s words, so he asked Lijia to check if anyone at school had lost a Budew.

Lijia replied the next morning.

She sat on the sofa, sipping the hot tea Hu Yang had prepared. She gazed at Budew, settled in its flowerpot on the windowsill basking in the sun, and smiled, saying, “Your place has changed so much since my last visit—it feels more lived-in now.”

“Does it?” Hu Yang glanced around; he’d merely rearranged the furniture.

“Yes, it looks tidy,” Lijia said with a bright smile. “I’ve looked into what you asked. No one at our school has lost a Pokémon. Do you want to catch this Budew?”

So this Budew had no Trainer?

Hu Yang’s eyes lit up with excitement: “Yes, I want to become a Trainer!”