Chapter 23: Swablu: I don't get it, but I'm deeply impressed.

Twelve Village, according to records from two months ago, was a village on the edge of the mountains. It had been connected to electricity and running water a few years back, but due to the poor condition of the roads, it had never really developed.

The residents here lived off the land, growing crops and fruits that could survive in the climate. They essentially lived a self-sufficient life, often not leaving the village for an entire year.

[Looking at it now, this place is truly pristine.]
[Indeed, it has everything one could want—mountains and water. Though it’s tiring, it’s free. Sigh, I’m a bit envious.]
[It’s not as good as you think.]
[Let’s just say every life has its own hardships.]
[Host, I think I just saw a monkey-like Pokémon dart past.]
[I saw it too, it had a very long tail.]

"That is a Pokémon called Aipom." Qian Lin had seen it as well. An Aipom had just dashed past them, and judging by its direction, it was likely heading toward the fruit orchard.

"Aipom is a tree-dwelling Pokémon with a tail that looks very much like a human hand. It is thick and powerful, and Aipom use these tails to swing between trees."

As he walked, Qian Lin explained the Pokémon they encountered to the viewers in his livestream. Most of the ones seen along the way were common species he had already introduced, so the conversation naturally shifted into a Q&A session to clear up the viewers' curiosities.

Some asked about a small yellow Pokémon spotted on a roof that vanished in the blink of an eye, others mentioned having their fishing rods bitten in half by something while angling, and some spoke of hearing laughter while visiting a shrine.

Qian Lin had a rough idea about the first one; if it was small, yellow, and capable of teleportation, it was likely an Abra or a Drowzee—it couldn't possibly be a Mew, and besides, Mew isn't yellow.

As for the creature that could bite a fishing rod in two, Qian Lin couldn't be certain. There were many Water-type Pokémon living in the water, and even more that could snap a rod. Since the angler didn't provide further details, he couldn't offer a precise answer.

The last one didn't need much thought; it was definitely the work of a Ghost-type Pokémon. Which one, however, was hard to say. Many Ghost-types love mischief, such as Gastly or Misdreavus, and more terrifying ones like Litwick or Banette.

However, through these reports, Qian Lin realized that there were actually quite a few Pokémon in the city. People often spotted strange things, but most Pokémon were simply shy of humans.

Come to think of it, these reports usually involved Water, Psychic, or Ghost-types that were easy to hide. What about the Fire-type Growlithe? Large dogs like that aren't easy to conceal, so why had they only started appearing recently?

[We’re here! What a massive orchard!]
[Damn, it’s not just pears.]
[So many Pokémon! That’s an Aipom, over there is an Oddish, and holy cow, there’s an Eevee!]
[Eevee is so cute! Come here, let Mommy give you a hug!]
[Forget the Eevee! Swablu is the eternal god!]
[Wait, I see that bear again. I’m out, I’m out!]

Qian Lin stopped and looked into the distance. The Ursaring in the orchard was very conspicuous. "Oh no, I don't have Milotic here to escort me this time. I’m afraid we can’t beat that Ursaring. What do we do, Swablu?"

As he spoke, Qian Lin lifted the Swablu perched on his head to eye level.

"Chirp? (⊙O⊙)..." Swablu looked at Qian Lin with a blank expression.

"Right, that’s my good girl. I trust you, we’re going straight in!" Qian Lin hugged Swablu with a serious expression, then stepped forward with the look of someone marching to their death.

"CHIRP!!!" Σσ(・Д・；)

[No need, Host! Safety first!]
[I have the same expression as Swablu right now.]
[Swablu is so cute, let me pet—wait, what did you say you were going to do, Host?]
[Hahahaha, you guys got played.]
[Clearly a bunch of newbies. Old viewers like me just think the Host is mean for tricking a pure creature like Swablu.]
[What? What? What did I miss?]
[The Host is about to approach that big bear! Aren't you guys worried at all? How can you be gloating?]
[If you had looked at the Pokédex even once, you wouldn't say that.]

Seeing the concern in the chat, Qian Lin couldn't help but laugh. He held up Swablu and explained, "An Ursaring is indeed very ferocious when starving, but a well-fed Ursaring won't actively harm humans."

Just like real bears, starving ones will attack humans, but well-fed ones generally won't.

To a bear, a human's size falls into the category of a large animal. Usually, wild beasts calculate the disparity between themselves and their prey. Unless they are truly starving, they won't waste energy attacking other large animals. It’s simply not worth the effort.

"Of course, a beast is still a beast, and an Ursaring's aggression is not to be underestimated. So, unless necessary, please don't approach them like I am—after all, I have Swablu to protect me," Qian Lin said with a smile.

The Ursaring in the orchard appeared quite sturdy, showed no signs of rage, and its expression was calm. Clearly, it was not hungry. With so much fruit in the orchard, feeding one Ursaring was no problem at all.

As long as Qian Lin didn't provoke it, the Ursaring wouldn't attack. It had no reason to fight a passing human; an Ursaring wasn't stupid, and heaven knows what strange tricks these Trainers might have.

The Ursaring glanced at the approaching Qian Lin and ignored him, continuing to calmly pluck fruit from the tree to eat.

Qian Lin smiled at the scene. He didn't approach the bear further, instead skirting around it to head deeper into the orchard. "Although the Ursaring looks intimidating, its unevolved form, Teddiursa, is extremely cute."

[I was actually worried about you? Damn, my mistake. Won't happen again.]
[You’re trading on my trust, Host. You’ve changed.]
[I’m angry, and I won't be easily appeased, unless you let me pet Swablu.]
[You want to pet the Host's bird? That’s a bit twisted, isn't it?]
[Pass it on: someone wants to pet the Host's bird.]
[Pass it on: someone wants the Host's bird.]
[Pass it on: someone wants to become the Host's bird.]
[Pass it on: the Host doesn't have a bird.]
[Some people start opening their browsers while they're typing.]
[That’s enough, you guys!]

Qian Lin looked at the chat with a strange expression and coughed dryly. "Watch it, everyone. This is an official channel, and the moderators are government personnel. I definitely won't get banned, but you guys might not be so lucky."

Driving in an official livestream—these people really are... well done!

[The one who said you don't have a bird just now... seems to be your moderator.]

Qian Lin: ???