Chapter 2: Caught in the Act

If a moment ago Hu Yang felt as if he were standing in an ice cellar, now his heart could only be described as basking in the warmth of spring. If nothing else, at least his safety in this world was now guaranteed.

So, then.

“Gu Yue Bird,” Hu Yang commanded, “use Subspace Slash!”

“Gah?”

Gu Yue Bird held its head with its wings, mimicking the confused Psyduck from the cartoon.

A second passed, then two, then three. It was as if a flock of crows had flown across the sky.

Gu Yue Bird tilted its head, its eyes blank.

Hu Yang: “…”

Could it be? Was it because his trainer level was too low, so Gu Yue Bird refused to obey him?

Hu Yang hesitated, recalling the information panel that showed a full affinity score of one hundred. He crouched down and pointed to himself, asking, “Do you know me?”

At last, Gu Yue Bird let go of its head and instead began to peck at a stone on the ground.

“…"

Hu Yang reached out and tried petting it. When he was sure the bird wasn’t going to resist, he picked it up off the ground.

“Gah?” Gu Yue Bird made a questioning sound.

Hu Yang asked again, “Can you understand what I’m saying?”

Gu Yue Bird stared off into space for a while, then turned away to straighten its feathers with its beak.

Watching this scene, Hu Yang had a rough guess in his heart.

Gu Yue Bird didn’t reject being touched, which meant it recognized him. But it showed no response to his commands or voice. There could only be two reasons for this.

First, it didn’t understand.

Second, it couldn’t hear.

With no prior experience as a trainer, Hu Yang was puzzled. Could it be that the innate ability of Pokémon to understand human speech in anime and games didn’t exist here? Or was it that this Gu Yue Bird wasn’t a real Pokémon?

After all, it was common knowledge that Pokémon in games were nothing more than lines of emotionless code, with all their behaviors and abilities pre-set by programmers.

Thinking this, Hu Yang picked up a stone nearby and, seizing a moment when Gu Yue Bird wasn’t watching, threw it into the river. The clear splash echoed in the air.

Hu Yang watched Gu Yue Bird closely. The moment the sound came, the bird obviously heard it; it jerked its head up and looked in that direction.

So, it didn’t understand.

But that shouldn’t be, right?

Now was not the time to dwell on this problem.

He decided to ask other trainers about it after leaving the forest.

He recalled Gu Yue Bird into its Master Ball and set off, following the river.

Water was the most vital resource for any living being.

Since ancient times, people built their tribes and villages by water. Following the river out of the forest was clearly more effective than wandering around aimlessly.

Because of his previous encounter with the Beedrill, he was much more cautious this time, doing his best to move quietly and avoid unwanted attention.

Even so, he still attracted the notice of some wild Pokémon.

Zigzagoon rustled in the grass, Wurmple crawled along the branches, a Sobble sipped water by the riverbank, and there was even a rare Croagunk.

None of these Pokémon attacked Hu Yang. Instead, they watched him from afar, their curiosity evident.

Hu Yang was deeply excited.

A real, living Pokémon ecosystem!

This was something games could never truly capture.

He longed to reach out and touch them! But reason told him that if he did, it would only provoke their defensive aggression.

After walking a fair distance, Hu Yang felt the burning pain at his waist grow more pronounced.

He lifted his shirt and saw the purplish area spreading.

This was clearly a bad sign.

He needed to get out of here before things grew worse.

His stomach was also growling with hunger.

The last heat of summer still lingered, and as noon approached, the air became stiflingly warm—not the dry heat of a normal day, but a muggy, oppressive humidity.

From his thirty years of life, Hu Yang knew this meant rain was coming.

“Croagunk, Zigzagoon… Could this be the Hoenn region?” Hu Yang wondered.

But then a Skwovet appeared in a tree, making him uncertain again.

Skwovet first appeared in Pokémon Sword and Shield, native to Galar. But thinking carefully, games and reality were different; earlier versions didn’t have later-generation Pokémon, but later-generation games often included earlier Pokémon.

This meant Galar and Unova Pokémon could easily appear elsewhere.

He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since morning, and now he was both hungry and thirsty.

He spotted the Skwovet clutching a berry in its paws.

Skwovet’s habits were similar to real squirrels, storing food in autumn for the winter.

So, following it might lead to something to eat.

If he was lucky, he might even find a Pecha Berry to cure his poisoning.

After only two seconds’ hesitation, Hu Yang decided to follow.

At his current pace, who knew when he’d ever leave the forest.

Perhaps this area was familiar territory for the Skwovet, as it showed little vigilance, leaping among the trees with its pink berry.

Hu Yang trailed closely behind, hiding behind a large tree as he watched Skwovet stash the berry inside a hollow.

Once it was done, the Skwovet scampered away.

Hu Yang hurried over, murmuring an apology in his heart as he reached into the hollow and pulled out a berry.

[Oran Berry: Restores a small amount of a Pokémon’s stamina when eaten.]

The relevant information surfaced in his mind.

It wasn’t what he needed, so he kept the Oran Berry in his left hand and reached in again with his right.

But just then, a heartbroken shriek came from above.

Hu Yang looked up and locked eyes with the returning Skwovet.

“…"

“…"

How awkward.

To think that a grown man would one day be reduced to stealing a squirrel’s winter stores.

And worse, he’d been caught red-handed.

This was the first time in thirty years he’d ever done such a thing; instinctively, he withdrew his hand and tried to hide it, pretending nothing happened.

But Pokémon weren’t ordinary animals—they were clever.

The Skwovet pointed accusingly at his left arm, chittering in outrage.

Hu Yang: “…”

Before he could react, the furious Skwovet leapt down and knocked him to the ground.

Its tiny fists pummeled his forehead.

Hu Yang hurriedly grabbed it under the armpits, lifted it up, and handed back the Oran Berry. “Stop, stop! My fault, it’s yours—take it back!”

After all, he was in the wrong.

The Skwovet snatched the berry, snorted, and then, as if suddenly noticing something, sniffed the air and looked at his waist. It had smelled the scent of poison and blood.

Hu Yang saw the shift and lifted his clothes, exposing the poisoned wound. He put on a pitiful expression and pleaded, “I’m really sorry—I didn’t mean to steal. I’ve been poisoned, and if I don’t find an antidote soon, I’ll die.”

As he said this, he watched for a reaction.

Gu Yue Bird hadn’t understood him—could wild Pokémon?

Apparently, yes.

The Skwovet hesitated, then darted into the tree hollow, rummaged around, and emerged with a pink berry.

Its fluffy face was full of reluctance, but after a moment’s struggle, it pushed the berry to him with resolve.

[Pecha Berry: Possesses a wondrous ability to cure poisoning.]

Hu Yang was amazed. “For me?” Were wild Pokémon really this kind?

Skwovet nodded, chittered twice, and then placed its right leg on his stomach.

Only then did Hu Yang notice the tiny pink bow bandage tied around its leg, previously hidden beneath its fur.

That was a style only humans could tie.

Hu Yang paused, a possibility dawning on him from the Skwovet’s attitude.

Perhaps this Skwovet had been rescued by humans before, which was why it held such goodwill towards them—and chose to help him now.

At this thought, an unexplainable excitement welled up from deep within him.