Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
"Wah! What an adorable little guy! Come here~ Let me give you a cuddle~"
Delia's eyes instantly turned into hearts as she looked at the cute little creature that had just emerged from the PokeBall. She immediately shoved the now-forgotten Pokemon egg into Liam's hands and crouched down, arms open wide, calling out to the little one on the ground.
"Nu? Nu~"
The little one scanned its surroundings, then "looked" up at Delia. Maybe it sensed her kindness, because it smiled warmly and ran happily into her arms, waving its tiny arms and legs, letting out excited Nu Nu sounds the whole way.
"Heehee~ That tickles~ You're too cute~ Liam, what kind of Pokemon is this little guy? It's just too precious!"
The little creature nuzzled Delia's face affectionately, making her giggle uncontrollably. Holding it in her arms, she stood up and lifted the Pokemon like a treasure, presenting its soft, round belly to Liam with eager eyes.
"Hehe, this little guy is called Cyndaquil. It's one of the three starter Pokemon from the Johto region, and it's of the the Fire type. While it might not look very strong right now, it can actually use many powerful Fire-type moves. It's quite a rare and valuable Pokemon—which is why I said we really owe Elm a big favor for this one…"
Liam smiled as he gently patted the chubby creature's head while Delia held it up in front of him. At the same time, he quickly scanned its data.
[Ding!]
Pokemon: Cyndaquil
Type: Fire
Species: Fire Mouse Pokémon
Info: Cyndaquil tends to be slightly timid and very gentle in temperament. The flames on its back flare up when it's angry, and the power of its flames increases accordingly.
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Gentle
Gender: Male
Base Stats Total: 309 / 309
Attack: 52
Defense: 43
Sp. Atk: 60
Sp. Def: 50
Speed: 65.
Known Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen, Ember.
Egg Move: Extrasensory.
Evaluation: Excellent! As one of Johto's starter Pokemon, this Cyndaquil has undeniable potential and is highly worth training!
...
After listening to Liam's explanation, Delia hugged the Cyndaquil tightly again. She looked down at it in her arms, her entire face glowing with happiness.
"So your name is Cyndaquil, huh? You really do look like a little fireball—soft and squishy. You're just too cute!"
"Starting today, I'm counting on you, Cyndaquil! My goal is the Johto League, so let's work hard together toward that!"
"Oh, right~ I forgot to give you a nice name! Hmm? Fireball? Little Fire? Flamey? What should I call you?"
Delia rubbed the little fire mouse against her face again and then furrowed her brow, caught up in the dilemma of picking a name.
"Ahem... I think 'Flamey' sounds just right. Fits perfectly with Cyndaquil."
Liam, watching her struggling to decide, chuckled and offered the suggestion with a smile.
"Ah! Flamey? That sounds adorable! Alright then, from now on, your nickname is Flamey! Let's do our best together, Cyndaquil~!"
Clearly, Delia loved the name. After thinking for only a moment, she happily accepted it and lifted Flamey into the air, beaming with joy.
Liam silently smiled to himself on the side. Just imagining Cyndaquil evolving into its later stages, and the look of surprise on Delia's face when it's no longer a round little ball, was enough to make him grin uncontrollably.
.....
A new member joining the team was always a happy event. Delia was completely immersed in joy the entire morning.
Unknowingly, the two had walked quite far and had been traveling deep through a forest path for a while now.
Just as Liam and Delia were wondering how much longer it would take to get out of the woods, several figures suddenly jumped out from the bushes ahead, blocking their way.
"Stop! This area is under lockdown. Travelers must take a detour!"
The people who jumped out quickly called out to Liam and Delia.
Even Liam was startled by the sudden appearance of those figures, let alone Delia, who had been walking behind him. But when Liam got a good look at their faces, his expression turned puzzled. Unsure of what was happening, he asked,
"Excuse me, what's going on here, Officer Jenny?"
Yes—it was Officer Jenny leading the group of figures that had stopped them.
She had a Spinarak perched on her shoulder, her expression stern and alert as she coldly stared at Liam and Delia. Behind her were several male officers with Growlithe and Machop at their sides, clearly ready for combat.
"No need to ask. Judging by your looks, you're just passing travelers. This has nothing to do with you. I advise you to leave immediately, so you don't get caught up in any battles and end up unnecessarily injured."
Officer Jenny didn't explain any further and firmly ordered them to leave. Clearly, something serious was about to go down.
Liam wasn't entirely happy with her curt tone, but he didn't argue. Instead, he grabbed Delia's hand and took a step back with a nod.
"Got it. We'll take the detour and leave right away."
No kidding—Liam and Delia were on a journey! Getting tangled up with police business was never simple, and Liam had zero interest in being dragged into anything troublesome. This was definitely a time to play it safe.
With that, Liam turned and started leading Delia away along a side path.
Seeing them comply, Officer Jenny's expression eased slightly.
But just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a loud explosion suddenly echoed from the forest not far behind her. One after another, more explosions followed, and plumes of thick, black smoke mushroomed up into the sky.
"What?! Quickly! Come with me!"
The sudden turn of events clearly caught Officer Jenny off guard. Without another word, she and her team rushed toward the source of the explosions.
Liam, who had just turned to leave, paused as he watched her disappear into the woods. His eyes flickered with confusion.
Beside him, Delia tugged on his sleeve, concern in her voice.
"Officer Jenny and the others just rushed off… It looks like something dangerous is going on. Do you think they'll be alright? Should we help them?"
Liam frowned slightly. Honestly, he didn't want to get involved. If it were just him, maybe—but with Delia here, her safety had to come first.
"I know you're worried about me, Liam~ But I know you'll protect me, won't you? Let's just go take a look! Maybe we can help! Who knows—by the time we get there, Officer Jenny might've already taken care of everything! Please~ Let's at least check it out? This is the most exciting thing I've ever encountered! Just one peek~?"
Liam stared at the sparkle in Delia's eyes and felt speechless. So much for worrying about Officer Jenny—Delia was just curious...
He was about to say something more, but just then, more figures in black uniforms suddenly burst from the bushes nearby. They ran frantically onto the forest path—clearly in retreat and in total panic—charging straight at Liam and Delia.