Chapter Twenty-Nine: Soroa

“Oh? The Flame Vortex!” Jun Shafeng’s eyes sparkled. She knew Heath’s character well—if he hadn’t truly confirmed that the person before them was a villain, Heath would never have said such a thing.

But Asura reacted even faster. The moment he saw Jun Shafeng, he swiftly withdrew the Death God's Coffin and immediately had Xatu carry him away. Just as Asura took flight, the Flame Vortex roared to life beneath him.

“What a pity… Heath! You rascal, what are you doing here again?” Jun Shafeng stomped her foot in frustration, then turned a steely gaze on Heath.

Heath swallowed nervously. He had to admit, when Jun Shafeng got serious, her presence was truly intimidating—he felt like a criminal awaiting interrogation. Although he knew she didn’t do it on purpose, Heath also understood this was her occupational habit; she couldn’t help but project such an aura. It was no wonder the women in Miss Jun Sha’s family all struggled to find partners. After all, a girlfriend or wife this imposing, who could arch an eyebrow and make you want to confess all your crimes, was a little too much for most people.

“Well, I just saw that old man come in, and I was curious why he’d enter the Evergreen Forest so late at night, so I followed him in,” Heath replied with a carefree smile, his manner entirely natural.

Living with Jun Shafeng had its perks—Heath’s nerves were much stronger these days.

Jun Shafeng narrowed her eyes at Heath, but said nothing. Instead, she glanced behind him, where a Caterpie lay, panting heavily.

“That man just now—was he trying to catch this Caterpie?” Jun Shafeng found it hard to believe. She had arrived in a hurry, but she’d seen the old man’s Pokémon: a Xatu. Why would someone with a Xatu want to catch a Caterpie? Surely he didn’t believe the popular rumor that Caterpie could evolve into Rayquaza?

“No, not quite. There was a black-furred Pokémon just now, but it seems it took advantage of your arrival to slip away,” Heath said, glancing at Zorua, who had transformed into another Pokémon, perhaps to avoid being seen by Jun Shafeng.

So Heath didn’t expose Zorua’s little ploy.

Jun Shafeng nodded in sudden realization, then pointed at Arcanine’s back. Heath sighed in resignation, understanding her meaning, and walked over.

“Mm?” A strange little sound made Heath turn around, only to see Caterpie clutching his pant leg, gazing up at him with pleading eyes.

“What... what do you want?” Heath asked in his heart, puzzled.

With Jun Shafeng here, there was no way he could set down the sweet and sour ribs—otherwise she would definitely suspect something was amiss, or worse, scold him for wasting food.

“I’m hurt… You humans look kind of strange, but you seem like a decent sort. Won’t you consider taking me home to heal my wounds?” Zorua’s voice echoed in Heath’s mind.

Heath’s mouth twitched—strange-looking human? Really?

Still, being able to capture a Zorua would be a good thing. At least then, he’d have his second Pokémon.

“This little fellow seems to be injured. Sis Feng, I think we have some potions at home, right?” Heath asked, looking at Jun Shafeng.

From her seat atop Arcanine, Jun Shafeng glanced at Caterpie and nodded.

Heath then picked up Caterpie and clambered onto Arcanine’s back, and together they sped back to their dormitory.

Along the way, Jun Shafeng didn’t ask a single question. When they returned home, she simply yawned and went off to wash up, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

“Sis Feng really does know how to take care of people,” Heath muttered, scratching his head as he looked at the bottle of potion on the table. He picked it up and headed to his room.

Heath’s room was extremely simple: just a bed, a desk and chair set with some books on top, and a wardrobe. Nothing else.

He released Farfetch’d, who eyed the Caterpie on Heath’s head curiously, then poked at it with its leek.

“Stop that! I’m not a Caterpie, you stupid duck!” In an instant, Zorua morphed into a Farfetch’d and brandished its own leek.

Heath couldn’t help but laugh and waved his hand, settling the dispute between his two Pokémon. Then he checked on Farfetch’d’s condition.

Farfetch’d was healthy, without any injuries, though its feathers were a bit ruffled. Heath breathed a sigh of relief and turned his attention to Zorua.

There was a wound on Zorua’s front left leg—not large. Heath sprayed it with potion; for such minor injuries, potion was enough to heal it.

The Pokémon Centers of this world provided free treatment, but only for standard wounds. Serious injuries still required payment.

“You were captured by that Asura, weren’t you?” Heath asked, curious, as he watched Zorua stretched out on the bed, looking thoroughly content.

“Yeah… that bad guy. I snuck out from my Zoroark caretaker to find some fruit, but that villain spotted me and tried to catch me with that big wooden thing,” Zorua nodded.

Heath eyed Zorua strangely—he couldn’t say why, but he thought Zorua seemed a bit… seductive and languid? Almost like a beautiful girl. The feeling was odd.

“So why did you transform into that little girl from Evergreen City? Is there a story there?” Heath asked, still curious. He remembered the first time he saw Zorua, she was in the form of a little girl.

In that moment, Heath’s mind spun a tale of a million words—a tragic novel about a kind girl who took in Zorua out of goodwill, or perhaps she was Zorua’s first trainer, but fate forced them apart. Maybe the girl had entrusted Zorua with a dying wish, asking her to avenge her or something of the sort.

It was a fanciful thought, but Heath couldn’t help wondering.

“Huh? Do I need a reason? I just thought that little girl was really pretty,” Zorua licked her paw and looked at Heath, utterly confused.

Heath’s mouth twitched. So in the end, it was all about looks—she took the girl’s form simply because she was cute.

“Zorua, would you like to travel with me, to seek out all sorts of delicious food together?” Heath drew a deep breath and gazed earnestly at Zorua as he asked.