"Pi—!"
A clear, high-pitched cry rang out across the forest. Anyone could hear the sheer exhilaration in that call.
[It's Pidgeotto!!!]
[So handsome! Pidgeotto, my superhero!]
[This round was totally carried by Pidgeotto—though Mo-bao did pretty well too.]
[Mo-bao, when you get back, upgrade your streaming gear immediately. Get the best one—I'll pay if I have to! I'm suffering here. Pidgeotto and Fearow kept flying out of frame, I missed so many awesome moments!]
[Seriously, that hurt to watch.]
[I declare it now—the Pidgey line is my one true Pokémon. I have to catch one someday and wait until it evolves so it can carry me into the sky.]
The moment the victor was decided, the livestream exploded. Barrages of comments and gifts flooded in at once.
Some viewers were so excited—Ah Hui among them—that they literally jumped up from the sofa, gripping their phone with one hand while pumping the other in the air, completely unable to hide their excitement.
Beneath the blue sky—
Pidgeotto spread its wings and soared freely above the forest. The tuft of pink feathers atop its head fluttered in the wind, like a ribbon bestowed upon a victor.
Chen Mo stared at the sight in a daze, his heart taking a long time to settle.
At that moment—
He suddenly saw Pidgeotto change direction midair, dive straight down, and land firmly on the ground in front of him.
"Pi-di!"
Pidgeotto affectionately rubbed its head against him. Compared to when it had still been a Pidgey, it was now far too large for Chen Mo to hug completely. All he could do was wrap an arm around its neck and gently stroke the feathers on its back.
"You did amazingly, Pidgeotto," Chen Mo said softly. "This is all the result of your own effort. I always believed you could do it."
As Pidgeotto continued to nuzzle his neck with its fluffy head, the smile on Chen Mo's face grew deeper and deeper.
"Alright, alright," he said with a light chuckle. "Don't forget—we still haven't fully dealt with Fearow yet."
That's right.
Fearow had only been injured and rendered unable to fight—it wasn't dead.
At this moment, Fearow lay on the ground, struggling repeatedly to get back up, clearly unwilling to give up its will to live.
[Somehow… Fearow looks kind of pitiful now.]
[Pitiful my ass. When it attacked Pidgeotto and Mo-bao earlier, was it pitiful then?]
[If Fearow is dealt with completely, does that mean Pidgeotto will agree to Mo-bao's invitation?]
[Definitely. Without Fearow, its clan wouldn't be under constant threat anymore, so it could follow Mo-bao away.]
[So… are they going to kill Fearow?]
Chen Mo retrieved the streaming device from the side and looked at Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeotto," he asked quietly, "what do you want to do?"
There was no need for words—toward Fearow, Pidgeotto felt nothing but deep-seated hatred. Just as it was about to finish off the greatest enemy of its life—
Suddenly, sharp, piercing bird cries rang out.
Chen Mo lifted his head slightly. From the forest ahead, birds with brown, fluffed crests and fierce expressions flew out one after another. They quickly formed a dense, moving defensive line in front of Fearow, blocking Pidgeotto's advance.
[They're Spearow…]
[Are they trying to protect Fearow?]
[This…]
[Wait, look over there!]
[No—those are Pidgey and some other Pidgeotto!]
Not long after the Spearow arrived, flocks of Pidgey—and a small number of Pidgeotto—followed as well, landing behind the large Pidgeotto.
Bird calls filled the air. The scene was both spectacular and chaotic.
It was also the first time Chen Mo truly realized just how cruel interspecies survival struggles in the Pokémon world could be.
Sometimes, only when one side completely falls can the other truly stand.
And if Fearow were to be killed here and now, Pidgeotto and its clan would have to pay an equally devastating price.
[This… is survival.]
[I feel like Pidgeotto won't be able to finish Fearow off—at least not today.]
[Then what do we do? Let Fearow go? If that happens, Pidgeotto can't leave with Mo-bao at all!]
[Why does it have to be like this?!]
[Mo-bao, think of something!]
What could I possibly do?
Chen Mo gave a bitter smile.
As an ordinary human, faced with a struggle between entire species, all he could feel was helplessness.
He looked at Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto looked back at him.
After a long silence—
Chen Mo finally forced himself to straighten up and smiled faintly.
"Pidgeotto, go do what you think is right. No matter what the future holds… we're already companions, aren't we?"
"Pi…"
Pidgeotto's voice was much lower now. It gazed at Chen Mo for a long time, then called out to the Pidgey clan behind it, and after that, let out a few cries toward the Spearow ahead.
Soon, the Spearow escorted Fearow away, disappearing from Pidgeotto's sight.
Suddenly, Pidgeotto felt a hand gently rest on its back—warm, just like it had been that night by the campfire.
"You're really someone I can't bear to part with," Chen Mo said softly. "But Pidgeotto… from now on, please forget what I said to you by the lake."
He smiled faintly.
"The Pidgey clan still needs you. And that Fearow—there's no telling when it might return. The threat it poses to the Pidgey is enormous. Without you, their survival would become incredibly difficult. So stay here, and keep protecting them."
"Don't be sad. It's not like we'll never meet again. Besides… when more Pidgeotto grow stronger, when they evolve into Pidgeot, maybe we'll have the chance to travel together."
"That will be an even better day."
As he spoke, the ache in Chen Mo's heart only grew stronger.
At that moment, he suddenly thought of Ash, back then—what kind of feelings he must have carried when he released his Pidgeot…
If a bond cannot be formed, then all that remains is loneliness.
Chen Mo lowered his head slightly, not wanting Pidgeotto to see his eyes.
Suddenly—
He felt something tugging frantically at his pant leg.
Pulled back to reality, he heard Pichu's anxious cries.
"What is it, Pichu?"
Chen Mo looked down. Pichu was holding a phone that was vibrating nonstop. On the screen was an incoming call—from an unfamiliar number.
Frowning slightly, Chen Mo still answered.
A familiar voice came through from the other end.
"My god, Mo-bro, you finally picked up! I was about to die from anxiety!"
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