After waking up, Rowan watched another movie titled Steel Tyranitar vs. Mutant Duraludon. There wasn't much to say about the movie's plot. It was quite cliché.
An evil organization's drug caused Duraludon to mutate and grow gigantic. Tyranitar went up against it and got injured, then mechanized itself and used Dynamax to transform into a steel giant.
Setting aside the storyline, the special effects were well done, definitely not outsourced for just five thousand Poke Dollars. It wasn't bad as a way to kill time.
Money for making movies should be spent on the movie itself — the general speaks no lies. [TN: Don't know the context of this line.]
When the train's announcement chime sounded at Tianfu East Station, the rather lengthy journey finally came to an end. The wave of hot air that rushed in made Rowan's throat feel tight.
"So hot…"
Unlike the previous dry heat, the heat here was more of a humid type. It felt sticky and clammy.
"Meow… (It really is…)"
The leaves on Nekomi's body looked a little wilted. She didn't particularly like this kind of temperature either. But just then, Nekomi suddenly remembered how Zhang Lin had used Weavile as an air conditioner at the food court outside the university.
Nekomi couldn't learn Icy Wind herself, but she did know some Ice-type moves.
"Meow~ (Wait, I've got an idea.)"
In the business class cabin, there was complimentary food and drinks provided, so the few bottles of water they brought over weren't used yet.
After pulling out those bottles, Nekomi, like performing a magic trick, tossed them one by one into the air. Then, controlling her strength, she lightly used Triple Axel.
The three bottles flew through the air in succession, and when they came back down, a frosty mist had formed on their surfaces. Nekomi then gave each bottle a tap, and the mineral water inside, affected by Ice-type energy, froze solid.
"Meow~ (Ice water~)"
While using this special method to create ice water and help cool Rowan down, Nekomi also temporarily entered the Ice-type state. The change in her internal energy gave her a feeling of being "chilled to the bone", greatly easing the discomfort caused by the heat.
"Where'd you learn that trick?"
"Meow~ (Watched science experiments on your phone while you were asleep~)"
"Awesome. Let's go, first we'll find Teacher Liu, then meet up with the Varsity Team."
Rowan realized he might have underestimated Nekomi's learning ability. With her usual strength, breaking a water bottle with a single kick wouldn't be hard, yet she managed to adapt and repurpose such a physical attack-type move as a refrigerator.
The train platform was packed with travelers, and many of them had lit cigarettes in their hands; it looked like they were holding back the whole time on the train.
However, the sudden waft of cigarette smoke made Rowan frown deeply. He found a spot upwind and waited until most of the people had left before heading toward the meeting point.
When Rowan saw Old Liu again, the man was stretching his body, occasionally pounding on his lower back. It was clear the trip hadn't been easy for him.
"Sigh, I'm getting old… When I was young, I took a green train for two days straight all the way to the Illumina Plateau. And I was on the hard seat the whole time. Now I can't even manage a full day."
Old Liu was lamenting his youth; whether it had really been that relaxing back then was hard to say. But anyone who could endure 48 hours in a hard seat, Rowan was willing to call a warrior.
At least the second-class seats on the bullet train could be adjusted, but the hard seats on the green trains prioritized passenger capacity over everything else, completely defying ergonomics and achieving the remarkable feat of being uncomfortable in any sitting position.
"Next year, Teacher Liu, you won't have to go through all this torture. If nothing unexpected happens, the Varsity Team next year will be able to reimburse your expenses."
Rowan handed over a bottle of freshly chilled mineral water, which also served as a kind of promise to him.
"You're pretty confident, huh."
"Of course. Even if the opponent is just like me, it'd still be hard to defeat Nekomi."
"That's true… When you catch a large Flying-type Pokémon, be sure to let me know. I'll take you to get your license."
If the Varsity Team was covering his expenses, then Old Liu wouldn't have to pinch pennies by riding second class anymore. And if Rowan didn't have a fear of flying, that would make things even easier.
"What kind of license?"
"A flying license. Flying-type Pokémon can be used to travel across regions, but private individuals need to declare it. Just like the drones you youngsters play with, there are flight routes and airspace restrictions.
Arcanine can run on highways, and Dragonite and the like have fixed air routes… We'll talk more about it when the time comes."
Flying Pokémon capable of carrying people weren't extremely rare, but they weren't exactly common either. Finding one with both the desired temperament and enough carrying capacity and stamina wasn't easy.
"Let's go meet up with the others at the hotel first. You can go have dinner with them after."
"You're not coming, Teacher?"
"I'll pass. I need to rest for a bit."
Right now, all Old Liu wanted was to find a hotel and lie down for a good sleep; he didn't care about anything else.
After confirming the address of the hotel, Old Liu signaled Rowan to call a car.
Yeah… if he called one, it probably wouldn't be reimbursed.
Before long, a black-and-white car with hints of green pulled into the ride-hailing pickup area. It looked like the driver had applied the car wrap himself.
"Driver, are there a lot of pandas around here?"
By the time they got out of the car, night had already fallen. Through the window, Rowan had spotted quite a few figures that resembled Pancham.
Some were following behind people, while others were being held in their arms; it was hard for him to tell whether they were panda plush toys or actual Pokémon.
"Yeah, the largest breeding center is here. I've got a Pancham at home too. But this kind of Pokémon really isn't suited to be a Starter Pokémon.
Just like its name suggests, it's way too mischievous; it takes some experience to handle." [TN: Direct translation of its name is Naughty Panda]
"But I saw quite a lot of them around."
"Well, they're cute, after all. It's like Huskies; they wreck your house, but people still love to raise them. Pancham's not that bad, honestly. It's after they evolve that the real trouble starts."
At this point, the driver glanced at Nekomi sitting quietly in the backseat and sighed slightly.
"Pancham is just mischievous, pat its head and it'll calm down. But once it evolves, it's a whole different story.
Don't let the cute look fool you. When they evolve, they're strong enough to flip over a car. That's why Everstones sell just as well as Poké Balls around here."
Compared to Pancham, Pangoro's personality matches its name — aggressive, impulsive, but also bold and a trustworthy partner.
But unless you've raised one since it was little, taming a Pangoro usually means you'll need to spar with it first.
"So, around here you guys..."
"No, no one actually rides a panda to school. Pancham's too small. As for Pangoro, getting it to accept the whole family isn't easy. I have seen them helping pick up kids before, but that's too rare."
Judging by his tone, the driver had clearly been asked this kind of question more than once and had his answer ready before Rowan could even finish.
"If you want the experience, head to the scenic area tomorrow. There are working Pangoro there that can take you from the base of the mountain all the way to the top, or you could visit the grasslands. I've heard they really do ride horses to school over there…"
"Wifey, once I finish these two rides, I'll switch shifts!"
The driver had been quite chatty up until then, but midway through he received a call, and his dialect switched instantly as he started chatting with someone at home over bluetooth…