Chapter 9: Blue Cotton Bird, Let’s Grow Stronger Together

[Page 1 of 3]
【Holy crap! Did you actually pull a Pokémon out of your backpack?】
The tone of the live stream comments was filled with utter bewilderment, along with a hint of excitement and envy.
【Host, host, introduce us to that Swablu!】
【It looks so dirty, covered in mud.】
【Don't you guys think it looks really ugly?】
A Swablu’s feathers resemble cotton; when they come into contact with water or mud, they clump together. Combined with the dull color of the mud—which had since dried—the overall appearance was anything but graceful.
To put it bluntly, it was ugly.
Qian Lin scratched his head and laughed, "A Swablu is a Cotton Bird Pokémon. It belongs to the bird category and has a Normal/Flying type. Swablu feathers are usually very beautiful, like clouds, but they go limp when they get wet, which is why it doesn't look great right now."
"Besides, Swablu are very clean Pokémon. If they get dirty or dusty, they usually use their cloud-like feathers to clean themselves off..." Qian Lin paused here.
He looked at the mud-caked Swablu in his hands, then thought about what he had just said. "Well... it is a large species, so there are bound to be some odd ones out."
【LMAO, 'loves to be clean' means being covered in mud, right?】
【To be fair, pigs also love being clean, which is why they roll in mud—it's to take a bath.】
【So, 'loves being clean' equals 'likes rolling in mud'?】
【Checks out, bro.】
"Uh, about that," Qian Lin said, feeling slightly awkward. "Maybe it’s because the heavy rain last night forced the Swablu to land nearby. It was exhausted and happened to see my tent, so it came in to take shelter from the rain and fell asleep before it could clean itself up."
That was the only explanation he could think of for now.
Perhaps from being held in his palm for too long, or perhaps because of Qian Lin’s incessant chattering—even if it was soft—the Swablu slowly began to wake up.
The ball of mud in his hands slowly unfolded its wings, revealing a chubby little face. Two small blue tufts on its head popped up with a soft "pop" sound. With its innocent, wide eyes and slightly parted white beak, it looked inexplicably, foolishly cute.
Qian Lin smiled as he watched the Swablu wake up. He reached out and gently stroked its head. "Hello there, Swablu. Are you lost? How did you end up sleeping in my backpack?"
"Chirp?" The Swablu seemed confused about its current situation. Upon hearing Qian Lin, it gave a dazed nod, then, as if realizing something, tilted its head at Qian Lin with an adorable expression.
Qian Lin: "..."
Damn, that’s kind of cute.
But the next second, before Qian Lin could speak, the Swablu in his hands was suddenly startled. It stared at Qian Lin in absolute terror, flapping its mud-stained wings frantically. Because the feathers were weighed down by mud, it couldn't get airborne and tumbled from Qian Lin's hands onto the ground.
Since it fell face-first into the soft, rain-soaked earth, its head got stuck in the mud. Its two short legs kicked helplessly at the sky, emitting a series of "Chirp! Chirp-chirp!" sounds.
Qian Lin: "...What a dorky bird."
【Hahahaha, what a dorky bird!!!】
【Host, your comment made me spit out my breakfast. You owe me!】
【Spitting out breakfast is nothing, I laughed my head off!】
【I'm dying of laughter, how can a bird be this silly! Hahahaha】
【Angry Birds?】

[Page 2 of 3]
【No, this is a 'silly-cute' bird.】
【You're hilarious! Hahahaha】
【Host, didn't you hear the Swablu calling for help? Save it!】
【Chirp? Save? Chirp-chirp? Help?】
【Hahahaha, I'm going to die laughing in this stream sooner or later!】
Qian Lin helplessly pulled the Swablu out of the mud. Looking at its face, which had been relatively clean but was now smeared with dirt, its large eyes were watery, as if it were about to cry at any moment.
Actually, no, it was already crying.
Watching the Swablu weep like a child, Qian Lin had no choice but to take out a towel and gently wipe its face. "If your feathers are covered in mud, don't even think about flying. You're not a Pidgey or a Spearow; you should take better care of your feathers."
A Swablu's feathers are as soft as cotton, which means they can't fly once they get wet or heavy. If it evolved into an Altaria, it wouldn't have this problem—after all, an Altaria doesn't rely solely on its wings to fly.
What, can't Dragon types have some privileges?
The Swablu sat in Qian Lin's palm, sniffling, looking utterly dejected.
"Alright, stop crying." Qian Lin’s tone was very gentle. "Do you want something to eat?"
"Chirp?" The Swablu looked up at Qian Lin, looking dazed and cute. With the tears still not fully wiped from its face, it looked even more adorable.
"You perk up the moment food is mentioned, don't you?" Qian Lin gave a helpless smile, tapped the Swablu on the head, and headed toward the campfire with two packs of instant noodles.
The water was already boiling, so he could just throw the noodles in. He was going to eat one pack, and the Swablu should be able to eat some too—after all, the Feebas had eaten a pack earlier. If a fish could eat it, why couldn't a bird?
Sitting by the fire, Qian Lin placed the Swablu on his lap. He had a few apples in his backpack, so he took one out and placed it in front of the Swablu. "Eat an apple first, then we'll have noodles later."
If the Swablu couldn't handle the noodles or if it had a bad reaction, he would make sure it didn't eat them.
"Chirp~" The Swablu became excited the moment it saw the apple. Forgetting its current situation, it hugged the apple with both wings and started gnawing. "Chirp~ Chirp!"
【Holy crap, so cute!】
【My old heart is melting~】
【Cute, I want to...】
【The one above, even if you want to, you'll need a doctor.】
【I meant I want to raise one! My brain is full of weird thoughts.】
【Go face the wall if you have a dirty mind!】
Qian Lin laughed at the harmonious comments. He gently stroked the Swablu’s head with his right hand. "This Swablu can't be very old. The fact that I can hold it in one hand suggests it hasn't been born for long. It was either separated from its flock or abandoned."
Qian Lin leaned toward the former. Generally, bird Pokémon prefer to live in flocks, and the elders in the flock take great care of the young. Pokémon aren't the type to abandon a child just because it's weak; their intelligence isn't much lower than humans', just more innocent.
Swablu usually don't inhabit forests; they prefer cliffs and crags. Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't any in forests, but Qian Lin hadn't seen any others. So, it was likely that this one had been separated from its flock, and combined with the rain last night, it had run into the tent in a panic.
He looked down at the happily munching Swablu and whispered, "Swablu, do you know where your flock is?"
"Chirp?" The Swablu heard its name, tilted its head up blankly at Qian Lin, and then, as if thinking, made a thoughtful expression. A moment later... it cried. "Chirp~"
Qian Lin was speechless. "Why are you crying again?"

[Page 3 of 3]
"Alright, I get it. You mean you can't find your companions, right?" Qian Lin asked tentatively.
"Chirp~" The Swablu nodded while sniffling.
Qian Lin thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Then, do you want to come with me? I don't have much money, but I can guarantee you'll be well-fed. Once I learn how to make Pokéblocks, I can make those for you to eat too."
The Swablu froze. It wiped the tears from the corner of its eyes and tilted its head, looking at Qian Lin. "Chirp?"
It was probably wondering why this human seemed different from the ones it had seen before. He had cleaned its feathers, given it food, and even provided a warm bed.
"What do you think?" Qian Lin was a bit confused. "I can't understand what you're saying, but if you agree, can you just nod?"
"Chirp!" The Swablu nodded vigorously, flapping its wings. "Chirp! Chirp-chirp! Chirp!"
I want to be with you!
"Hmm... still can't understand you." Qian Lin smiled very happily.
It didn't matter. If he couldn't understand it now, he would have plenty of chances to communicate with the Swablu in the future, especially since it had already agreed to follow him.
So...
"I've caught a Swablu!" Qian Lin held the Swablu up happily, as if holding a rare treasure. A pure, genuine smile appeared on his face, looking incredibly dazzling in the morning light.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!" Even though it didn't know why, if its trainer was this happy, the Swablu was very happy too.
【Caught? What does that mean?】
【Wait, the Swablu agreed to go with you, does that mean... it's going to stick with you from now on?】
【Wait, wait, wait, that's a lot of information, let me process this.】
Qian Lin held the Swablu, handed it the apple, and couldn't help but laugh at its cute appearance. "By 'caught,' I mean from now on, this Swablu is my partner. Not a pet, a partner. Do you guys understand?"
"In the future, if we encounter unfriendly Pokémon, we can fight side-by-side. The Swablu will protect me too, right?" Qian Lin rubbed the Swablu's little head.
The Swablu, currently busy eating, looked up and rubbed comfortably against Qian Lin's hand. "Chirp-chirp~"
That's right, I will protect my trainer!
The next moment, the Swablu lowered its head, feeling a bit dejected. "Chirp~"
But I'm so weak, and my companions are all so strong. What if I can't protect my trainer well?
For some reason, Qian Lin felt like he understood what the Swablu meant. He gave a gentle smile, stroked its head, and said, "It's okay. We'll get stronger together. I'll grow too. My goal is to introduce you little cuties to the whole world."
"Chirp!" I'll stay with my trainer.
"It's a deal, then. We'll get stronger together." Qian Lin extended his right hand in front of the Swablu.
"Chirp~" The Swablu flapped its wings.
It's a deal.