Chapter 2: The First Pokémon Encountered

Walking through the scenic area, no human had set foot here for two months. Without any human intervention, the vegetation had grown a bit more lush than before, with small patches of grass even beginning to sprout along the man-made paths.

Qian Lin gazed at this scene with a touch of emotion. "Human development inevitably harms nature, and all we can do is try to protect it as much as possible during our progress. The arrival of Pokémon has, to some extent, paused this development, allowing nature to recover and flourish."

"That's not a bad thing at all."

Although development was interrupted and halted for a time, from a long-term perspective, this pause might make future progress more harmonious. It may not be an outright blessing, but it certainly isn’t a curse.

At that moment, Qian Lin’s eyes suddenly brightened. He stopped walking and stood still, his gaze fixed on a large tree by the roadside. "I see a Pokémon!"

Liu Hui, who was about to shut down this 'dumb' livestream, suddenly jolted awake and quickly typed in the chat.

"Where? Where is it?"

He leaned closer to his phone screen, scanning for the ‘monster’ but couldn’t spot it. Though he disliked monsters, he had to admit these flashy creatures were quite attention-grabbing. At least now, Liu Hui was genuinely curious.

"I’ll keep my voice low—I think I startled it," Qian Lin said with a growing smile. He slowly set down his backpack, reached inside, and pulled out an apple. Carefully approaching, he explained, "Wild Pokémon are naturally wary of all living things. Please don’t approach them unless necessary. As long as you don’t provoke them, they won’t attack you."

Of course, unless you’re unlucky enough to encounter a Primeape or Beedrill—that’s a whole different story. In that case… good luck.

Looking at the little creature clinging to the tree trunk, Qian Lin’s expression softened. "Sorry if I scared you. Here’s an apple—consider it my apology."

He gently placed the apple by the tree trunk and stepped back a couple of paces. "I’m livestreaming, kind of like photography. I want to record your form and share it with the people of this world. If you’re uncomfortable, I can leave right now."

"Come on, show me that monster already! You won’t get any gifts streaming like this!!!" Liu Hui complained angrily. He’d searched the screen for a long time without spotting the creature. He just wanted to see what it looked like—the streamer really didn’t get it.

"The streamer’s such a coward," read another comment—not from Liu Hui but someone else drawn in by the title.

Unfortunately, Qian Lin paid no attention.

His voice was cautious—perhaps overly so. Even Liu Hui could detect the excitement beneath Qian Lin’s tone, but the streamer forced himself to suppress it. His extreme caution made him seem utterly timid.

"Meow~"

A faint, strange sound drifted into the livestream. It wasn’t unpleasant—in fact, it was quite charming, like a tiny kitten softly mewing.

"Holy crap, it’s real!"

"I actually find this monster’s cry kind of cute? Do I have a problem?"

"Bro, same here."

Qian Lin chuckled, his worries and carefulness melting away. He gave a gentle nod toward the Pokémon clinging to the tree. "Thank you, Wurmple."

The camera shifted and zoomed in slowly. A red insect covered in spines with a white belly appeared on screen. Its big, sparkling eyes showed a human-like happiness as it nibbled on the apple Qian Lin had offered.

"That’s a huge bug!"

"That thing’s a monster too?"

"I’ve never seen it before. It’s not in the official database—must be a new species."

"The streamer’s lucky to have found a new monster. He should catch it and hand it over to the officials for study."

Qian Lin noticed the chat had grown busier, likely because the appearance of a Pokémon attracted casual viewers to stay.

A smile crossed his face as he softly explained, "This is called Wurmple, a Bug-type Pokémon, the Worm Pokémon. It primarily feeds on tree sap, but also enjoys leaves and fruit. Its attack power isn’t strong, but it will fiercely defend itself if threatened."

"The spines on its back exude venom. Please don’t attack them in the wild. If you find them cute, you can offer some fruit—they’ll be very grateful."

Wurmple resembled a Caterpillar and, like Caterpie, served as prey for bird Pokémon. However, Wurmple’s spines release poison when attacked, making it more dangerous than Caterpie.

"Hey, you just call it whatever you want? Who do you think you are?"

"This streamer thinks he’s clever. Wurmple? Why not call it Red Spine or something?"

"Another one naming monsters—yours isn’t as good as the one next door."

"Everything goes by the official names, dumb streamer."

"I find this pretty interesting. See? The monster hasn’t attacked the streamer."

"Monsters can be herbivores. This dumb streamer’s just lucky."

Most of the chat—about ninety percent—was mocking Qian Lin, which was to be expected. He didn’t expect to change anyone’s mind quickly; this was a long road ahead.

He glanced at the chat briefly and then looked away—no point letting it spoil his mood. Better to watch Wurmple.

Truth be told, the way the Wurmple nibbled on the apple was quite adorable. Given the cute art style aimed at children, it wasn’t grotesque in the slightest. Qian Lin felt a sudden urge; his right hand twitched, itching to pet it. This was much more satisfying than petting a cat.

Acting on impulse, he took another apple from his backpack. While Wurmple wasn’t paying attention, he stepped forward. "Wurmple, can I touch you?"

The Pokémon lifted its head, tilting it in curiosity. When it saw the apple in Qian Lin’s hand, its eyes brightened. Judging the human harmless, it nodded repeatedly. "Meow~"

The voice was full of excitement.

"Yay!!!" Qian Lin almost jumped for joy.

This was a Pokémon! In his previous life, Qian Lin had loved Pokémon for twenty years. He had thought that chapter was closed, but now a Pokémon was right before him—one he could actually pet.

His trembling right hand held the apple out to Wurmple, then slowly, carefully stroked its head from front to back, just like petting a cat.

Aside from the prickly spines making the texture unusual, the overall sensation was pleasant—like stroking a hedgehog, but with less dense spines. The feeling was strangely satisfying, not unpleasant.

Nice! I’m petting it!

Wurmple continued happily nibbling the apple. Qian Lin’s touch became more confident, less tentative—perhaps from his years of cat-petting, his technique was practiced. Wurmple seemed to enjoy it too, lifting its head to gently nuzzle his hand.

Totally worth it. That’s all there was to it.