Originally, Chen Mo's plan was to use Redleaf Lake as a central base on the first day, setting up a small campsite there before gradually exploring the surrounding area.
But reality proved that he had overestimated himself.
Since this was his first time camping in the wild, by the time he finished setting up the tent he would be sleeping in that night, his entire body was already overwhelmed with fatigue. He no longer had even the slightest desire to head out and explore.
"So comfy~"
"Pichu, pichu~"
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the surface of Redleaf Lake. Watching the lake turn fiery red under the sunlight, Chen Mo sank half his body into an outdoor moon chair, his face filled with pure enjoyment.
And, as the saying goes, like owner, like spirit.
This lazy, laid-back mood quickly spread to Pichu as well. Curled up on Chen Mo's stomach, Pichu half-closed its eyes, let out a small yawn, and—just like its unreliable owner—completely immersed itself in this leisurely moment.
[I knew it…]
[Mo Bao, do you still remember what kind of streamer you are?]
[Mo Bao: What, I'm not a slacking-off streamer?]
[I figured it out last stream—Mo Bao really is the kind of person who lives freely. He has a firm, lofty goal, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying life and slacking off along the way.]
[Mo Bao, pull yourself together!]
Fair point.
Slacking off like this forever wouldn't do. Lunch had been handled very casually while driving earlier, and now it was time to light a fire and properly prepare some food.
"Pichu, let's go find some firewood," Chen Mo said.
"Pichu~"
"Oh? You don't want to go? Sigh, alright then. I'll go by myself. You stay here and rest, don't run around, okay?"
"Pichu~"
Looking at Pichu lying in the moon chair, waving its fluffy little paws without even lifting its head, Chen Mo shook his head helplessly.
The viewers might have gotten it wrong—right now, it felt more like he had been infected by Pichu's laziness.
Since it hadn't rained in quite some time and the weather was very dry, Chen Mo easily gathered enough wood for the night.
"…Not all spirits are friendly toward humans. Last time we talked about attributes, remember poison-type and dark-type spirits? Some of them are especially troublesome. So if you're staying overnight in the wild, a campfire is very important. Don't forget this—especially in forests. A campfire can effectively prevent insect-type and snake-type spirits from attacking you while you rest."
Chatting casually with the barrage of comments, Chen Mo carried the bundle of firewood back to the campsite.
However—
At that moment, he noticed that Pichu, who should have been resting quietly on the moon chair, had somehow run over to the lakeside. It was facing the water, chattering away: "Pichu, pichu," as if talking to something.
Curious, Chen Mo set the firewood down and quickly walked over.
"What's going on, Pichu?"
"Pichu."
Hearing the familiar voice, Pichu immediately turned around.
Only then did Chen Mo notice that Pichu was holding a small can—one that looked suspiciously like the fishing bait he had prepared before leaving home. He had planned to use it for fishing in Redleaf Lake if he got bored.
"Why did you take this out?"
"Pichu."
Hugging the bait can, Pichu pointed with its free little paw toward the nearby lake.
That was when Chen Mo finally saw it.
On the red surface of the lake, illuminated by the sunset, a Magikarp was poking half its head out of the water, staring at him with eyes that seemed oddly… intelligent.
"Glug, glug…"
A string of bubbles rose from Magikarp's mouth.
"Pichu, pichu~"
Pichu dipped its little paw into the bait can, scooped out a bit of bait, and tossed it into the water.
At the same time—
A spark of liveliness flashed through Magikarp's eyes. Its red body swayed as it swam forward, unceremoniously gobbling up all the bait that had fallen into the water.
Then—
It lifted its head, opened its mouth, and sprayed a small fountain of water more than ten centimeters high into the air.
Seeing this, Pichu immediately cried out happily, "Pichu, pichu!"
"This…"
Chen Mo found it hard to understand how, during the short time he was away, his Pichu had managed to start playing with a Magikarp.
And what's more, this Magikarp—clearly a spirit—seemed to be enjoying ordinary fish bait quite a bit.
[Such a wholesome scene of friendship (`)]
[Pichu looks like it's having so much fun.]
[So you can fish up a Magikarp with normal bait? Got it. I'll bring my rod to the river later.]
[Fish? Aren't you afraid you'll reel in a Gyarados?]
Glancing at the comments, Chen Mo said calmly,
"You might be misunderstanding something. In most cases, if you want to catch aquatic spirits by fishing, you need special bait. This Magikarp… might just be a little different."
He continued observing the Magikarp playing happily with Pichu.
"Strange. How is it able to spray water for so long…?"
On impulse, Chen Mo activated [Eye of Detection] on this unusual Magikarp.
The result shocked him.
[Species: Magikarp]
Attribute: Water
Ability: Swift Swim
Base Stats: 200
(HP: 20, Atk: 10, Def: 55, Sp. Atk: 15, Sp. Def: 20, Speed: 80)
Known Moves: Splash, Tackle, Bounce, Water Gun
Current Emotion: Calm
Physical Condition: Perfect
Affinity: 10
(Because Pichu gave it food, it has developed a bit of goodwill toward you as Pichu's owner.)
Four moves?!
Was this really the Magikarp he knew?
Chen Mo couldn't help but take a closer look at the Magikarp floating in the lake.
Perhaps noticing his gaze, the Magikarp stopped spraying water, turned slightly, and looked back at Chen Mo.
Magikarp: o_o
Chen Mo: (_`)
Just as Chen Mo was about to reach out and greet this special Magikarp—
It slowly turned away, then blew a string of bubbles toward Pichu on the shore.
"Pichu, pichu!"
Pichu waved its little paw back at Magikarp, as if saying goodbye.
Sure enough.
In the next second, Magikarp turned fully around, swished its body gently, and leisurely swam toward the center of the lake.
"So… I missed my chance."
In this world, fleeting encounters like this happened all the time. Although Chen Mo felt a trace of regret, he didn't dwell on it too much.
He looked at Pichu beside him and smiled.
"Let's head back, Pichu. Magikarp's already eaten, and now it's our turn to prepare dinner."
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