Chapter Thirty-Six: On the Brink of Becoming the King of Competition

The wilderness at night was always remarkably quiet. Or rather, the Pokémon that ventured out at this hour kept to themselves, making it rare to hear any unusual sounds. Zhu Suihan gathered a few stones and arranged them in a circle to start a fire. Though Lapras didn’t possess fire-type abilities, there were other ways to kindle flames.

“Wuu wuu!”
Trainer, use Flamethrower!

Zhu Suihan ignited a spark with his lighter, then stacked the charcoal he’d bought from the convenience store. He set up a small pot, already prepared and filled with ingredients, to simmer a hot broth. The soup was a simple blend of berries and vegetables, paired with sandwiches he’d made in advance. Of course, he didn’t forget the nutrient-rich energy cubes. With charcoal as fuel, Zhu Suihan didn’t need to poke at the flames with a stick.

The convenience store sold instant curry blocks, but as his first meal in the wild, Zhu Suihan wanted to be a little more involved. The aroma gradually wafted through the air. Zhu Suihan yawned—not out of fatigue, but simply from the environment’s influence, despite feeling quite energetic.

Once the soup was ready, Zhu Suihan ladled out his portion, then placed the entire pot on the table, inserting Lapras’s special straw. The table had been adjusted to a height that ensured Lapras could easily lower her head to eat.

Zhu Suihan took a bite of sandwich, dipped it in vegetable soup, and discovered a new flavor. Lapras, true to her nature, inhaled the soup and ingredients in one swift motion, urging Zhu Suihan to add all the energy cubes into the pot for her to slurp up—more of a game than a meal.

“This isn’t bubble tea, be careful not to choke,” Zhu Suihan said, sipping soda as he surveyed his surroundings.

Beside them ran a small river, bordered by woods—a classic camping spot. As he prepared dinner, Zhu Suihan wondered if he would stumble upon an abandoned Pokémon, or perhaps one that had fainted after a battle, much like Ash’s adventures. But it seemed his imagination had gotten ahead of him; such encounters weren’t common.

“Wuu wuu!”
Lapras, satisfied and full, slid into the river, her slender neck resting on the surface in a pose reminiscent of a human lounging on a mattress.

Above, the silhouettes of flying Pokémon occasionally streaked by at astonishing speed. Zhu Suihan watched as two larger ones chased a smaller one—it appeared to be Fearows pursuing a Spearow, likely catching a youngster out past curfew. A mixed double attack was probably imminent. Given the speed, Zhu Suihan wondered if the Fearows were actually training their offspring’s flight skills under the guise of pursuit.

Lapras lounged comfortably in the water, but she remembered her trainer was still busy and paddled ashore to nuzzle Zhu Suihan.

“Don’t be a nuisance, you’re all wet,” he said, “Go to sleep. I’ll tidy up here and then turn in myself.”

“Wuu?”
Lapras was puzzled. She’d watched him prepare supplies, but Zhu Suihan hadn’t brought any gear for sleeping outdoors—not even a sleeping bag.

“No tent, no problem. The sky as my blanket, the earth as my bed. I’ve even slept on ice before; why not savor the thickness of the earth?” Zhu Suihan declared, “Don’t worry, even sleeping like this, no Pokémon will dare approach.”

After recent sleepless nights, Lapras had grown accustomed to the taste of sticky balls, no longer recoiling as she once did. Zhu Suihan placed a few nearby, confident no Pokémon would be curious enough to venture close. If one did, he’d consider capturing a second Pokémon on the spot. Any creature brave enough to ignore the sticky balls would be formidable indeed.

No need for further discussion—like a true emperor!

“Wuu wuu~”

Lapras returned to the water and soon fell into a deep sleep. Zhu Suihan turned on his small lamp and began to study by its light. To ensure adequate rest, every evening he would extract some knowledge from his “cheat” and try to thoroughly understand it.

“I thought this cheat would make me invincible, but it turns out it’s the ultimate sleep aid,” he mused.

Besides essential camping supplies, Zhu Suihan had brought plenty of paper and pens for his nightly grind. To be honest, every Pokémon—whether handsome, cute, or charmingly ugly—had their own distinctive traits. Yet, deeper research sometimes revealed bizarre facts, at least in Zhu Suihan’s opinion.

For example, Trubbish and Garbodor: if someone formed a bond with them, their foul odor would vanish entirely. Studies suggested this was linked to emotional energy—perhaps akin to Ash’s connection with Greninja. Phrases like “stand tall” or “show some spirit” also seemed tied to emotional energy.

Of course, Garbodor and Trubbish had the ability to tolerate their own stench, but prolonged exposure could lead to explosive results. The most outrageous detail: if Trubbish’s mouth dripped foul-smelling poison, nearby Grimers and Muks would come running, drooling in anticipation. To them, Trubbish’s purified poisonous drool was a gourmet feast—nutritious and delicious beyond compare.

It was reminiscent of the peculiar desire to drink bathwater from office ladies, or craving the taste of milk tea filtered through stockings.

“Rather extreme, but it fits the Pokémon ecology,” Zhu Suihan remarked.

Areas with heavy pollution would see an increase in Grimer and Koffing populations. Yet since arriving in this world, Zhu Suihan—a seasoned internet addict—hadn’t seen any major pollution news. Given the reckless nature of reporters, it shouldn’t be easy to hide such incidents.

So Wataru wouldn’t turn dark, after all.

The ecosystem of Pokémon and their environment was complex—credit where it’s due to the forest rangers. Compared to the difficulty of maintaining large-scale ecological balance, even poaching groups seemed trivial. When it came to Pokémon battles, Zhu Suihan felt he could rally an entire forest’s worth of Pokémon to his cause.

“Ecological saturation is worth considering,” he noted.

Parks and wild wetlands often held competitions—bug-catching, fishing, and more—not just for fun, but to relieve the pressure of an ecosystem nearing saturation.

Zhu Suihan put away his notebook, leaned against a tree, and closed his eyes. The ecological reports he’d exchanged for seemed hard to decipher. Whenever the environment was involved, adapting to local conditions became a rare but essential skill—far more complex than city-building simulations. In games, you could ignore residents’ objections, but in reality, environmental protection without Pokémon cooperation was nearly impossible.

“Joey Academy, I hope they don’t spring a preliminary exam on me, or I’ll end up a quack harming others,” Zhu Suihan sighed, drifting off to sleep. The sky as his blanket, the earth as his bed—the tree at his side was his pillow.

Still, without a sleeping bag or tent, even with the campfire burning, passing trainers might think Zhu Suihan had fainted from some mishap.

...

“Not bad, slept well,” he said as dawn broke. The tireless Zhu Suihan woke early, flipped through yesterday’s notes, and glanced at Lapras—still asleep.

“Never mind, let’s make breakfast.”

Breakfast was simple: Miltank’s milk with berry rice porridge, plus some tangy berries mixed with dressing for a cold salad—a spicy-sour take on salad.

The cold dish was Zhu Suihan’s specialty; aside from berries, he added ingredients like wood ear fungus, then had Lapras freeze it with Ice Beam and placed it in the incense burner.

“Wuu wuu.”
Lapras, drawn by the aroma, wandered over half-asleep, resting her head on Zhu Suihan’s shoulder, enjoying the scent and reluctant to move.

“Careful, the pot’s hot,” Zhu Suihan said, stirring the soup before turning off the heat.

As usual, he set aside his own portion. For Lapras, he poured Miltank’s milk into her bowl, added fresh energy cubes, and sliced some berries for sweetness.

“Should I give you a share of the cold salad as well? I think you’d like it,” he offered.

“Wuu wuu!”
Lapras refused firmly, eyeing Zhu Suihan warily during breakfast, afraid he’d slip extra ingredients into her bowl on a whim.

The rice porridge was fragrant and sweet; paired with cold salad or milk, it offered different flavors. If he weren’t rushing to report to the academy, Zhu Suihan would have gladly made a breakfast of soy milk, fried dough sticks, and rice porridge.

After the meal, Lapras used Water Gun to douse the campfire’s remnants. Zhu Suihan finished tidying up, then poured two boxes of energy cubes onto a stone.

Consider it rent for the locals, or simply Zhu Suihan clearing out his inventory.

“Wuu wuu!”
Lapras nudged Zhu Suihan, then turned to the river, glanced back with anticipation.

“Let me check the map,” Zhu Suihan said, guessing Lapras’s dolphin-like urge to carry passengers had kicked in—she wanted to travel by water. Indeed, with Lapras, water travel was faster than walking.

“This river actually leads near Goldenrod City?” Zhu Suihan was surprised. He’d chosen a spot near water for Lapras’s sake, never expecting to find a shortcut.

With that, he nodded and waded into the river with Lapras, settling carefully onto her back. He realized he’d been too narrow-minded, thinking speed was only about air travel; he hadn’t considered rivers.

“Let’s set off. If you get tired, just let me know.”

“Wuu wuu!”
Tired?
Impossible! Trainer, you’re not a Snorlax!

The fire of determination danced in Lapras’s eyes.

Route: confirmed.
Status: perfect.
Lapras-speedboat, launch!

Surfing!

The waves surged as Lapras let out a resonant cry, like a siren’s song on the ocean, accelerating instantly toward their destination.

Zhu Suihan: ?

Alright, so that’s how you’re playing it.

If Lapras could keep up this pace, forget the journey taking over a week—by tonight, they could camp near Goldenrod City, and with a bit of effort, reach a hotel by midnight!