Chapter 146 Talent

Chapter 46: Talent

Of course, that did not mean Lu Yun could no longer eat.

If he encountered some rare treasure in the future that required ingestion to be absorbed, he could still consume it and use it to strengthen himself.

In fact, compared with other Pokemon, Lu Yun’s absorption efficiency was probably even higher.

Gradually, the sounds of chewing in the dining room grew softer and softer.

El gently set down his utensils, then cautiously raised his eyes and looked at the strangely colored Machop before him with a complicated expression.

Its earlier display of savagery had given El quite a fright.

But afterward, El had realized that this Machop was the one who had rescued him from Mightyena’s claws.

From a certain perspective, it had even helped him take revenge.

Although El’s parents had died in Mightyena’s jaws, the boy’s young heart had never regarded every Pokemon as his enemy.

The Machop before him did look rather frightening, but it seemed to be quite friendly toward him...

El’s emerald-green pupils trembled faintly. He parted his lips, which had gone pale from the turmoil in his heart.

“Th-thank you.”

The sudden words pulled Lu Yun back from his thoughts.

Somewhat surprised, he glanced at El across the table and gave a small nod.

Lu Yun’s crimson pupils shifted as his gaze swept over El’s face.

Though the skin around the boy’s eyes was still faintly red, his heart had evidently calmed.

“He should have settled down by now.”

Lu Yun silently spoke to himself.

“Smack!”

He slapped the book in his hand onto the tabletop with a resounding crash, then slowly pushed it toward El.

El jolted in fright, nearly leaping out of his chair.

He pointed at the book, then at himself.

“You want to give me this book?”

El asked, puzzled.

Lu Yun shook his head, then raised a hand and pointed at El’s mouth.

“Oh!”

“You want me to read it to you?”

Seeing how smoothly things were progressing, Lu Yun nodded in satisfaction.

El found Lu Yun’s request somewhat strange, but this Pokemon was his savior. Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

He picked up the book and began to read.

“In the year 2036 of the Solar Calendar, space shattered. Pokemon throughout the world, regardless of species or level of strength—even some Legendary Pokemon—seemed to have been infected by the same virus. They lost their minds and began attacking the humans around them in a frenzy.”

“Vast electromagnetic storms appeared as if from nowhere, causing most of the world’s technological creations to cease functioning. Faced with this sudden and terrifying disaster, humanity was driven back step by step, its habitable territory shrinking to the furthest corners of the world. It was not until the electromagnetic storms gradually weakened a century ago that humanity, relying on precious technological relics left behind by its ancestors and the assistance of a small number of Pokemon, managed to cling to survival.”

“In the second year of the Dark Origin Era, the great Trainer Soke led his—”

“...”

El’s clear, childish voice echoed around the dining table.

Lu Yun sat beside him, appearing expressionless. In truth, however, the revelation of history had left his thoughts in utter disarray.

He had guessed that the system had sent him to a parallel Pokemon universe, but he had never expected the course of history in this world to differ so dramatically from that of the world he had once inhabited.

The astonishing changes that had taken place had shaken him to the core.

As he listened carefully to El’s voice, Lu Yun continued thinking.

The various questions that had troubled him were gradually becoming clear.

No wonder there had been so few security Pokemon in the underground base, and no wonder Whiteleaf Town had been so easily breached.

Could it be that sane Pokemon had already become exceedingly rare in this world?

Even ordinary professional Trainers probably possessed only one or two Pokemon.

The Mightyena he had just killed were likely Pokemon infected by the Seeds of Nightmare.

Their strength had been nothing extraordinary, but...

Recalling the eerie light that had flickered in their eyes and the madness they had displayed in battle, Lu Yun could not help shivering.

His wariness of the Seeds of Nightmare deepened once more.

At the same time, he began to form a plan for his future.

To earn enough points, high-intensity combat was indispensable.

But recklessly rushing into the wilderness to engage the Nightmare Pokemon in a furious battle was clearly unwise.

Leaving aside whether his current strength was sufficient, the terrifying numbers they had accumulated after years of breeding alone would be more than enough to overwhelm him.

Therefore, finding a large human settlement to use as a place of rest was absolutely essential.

Or perhaps he could approach the matter from another angle.

Given how highly prized ordinary Pokemon were in this world, if the opportunity arose, could he follow a wealthy Trainer with a powerful background and use that person as a stepping-stone to obtain a massive allocation of resources—and earn a great many points?

A sharp glint flashed through Lu Yun’s pupils.

That might indeed be a good solution.

But the most important thing was still to find a large human settlement.

“Tap, tap, tap.”

The dining room fell silent.

Only the crisp sound of Lu Yun’s fingers unconsciously tapping against the table broke the stillness as he sank into thought.

El had finished reading the history book some time ago. He sat obediently in his chair with his head lowered, a deep weariness washing over him.

The events of the day had long since exhausted the little boy’s mind.

Even seated on a hard chair, he had only needed to relax for a moment before sinking into deep sleep.

Lu Yun slowly returned to his senses and gazed at El with his ruby-colored eyes.

This local boy might know the location of the human towns nearby.

But...

Lu Yun helplessly opened and closed his mouth.

El could not understand a word he said!

In the anime of his previous life, perhaps there had been humans capable of grasping the meaning concealed within a Pokemon’s simple cries.

But those humans were generally either experienced Trainers with extensive communication experience or individuals naturally blessed with extraordinary talents.

As for El, the boy before him looked like nothing more than an ordinary human child.

Aside from possibly having an attractive appearance, there seemed to be nothing particularly special about him.

At that moment, Lu Yun almost wished he could temporarily change his type and become a Psychic-type Pokemon, using mental power to communicate with humans.

Unfortunately, that remained nothing more than a fanciful dream.

“Ah.”

Lu Yun sighed helplessly and glanced out the window at the dense darkness of night.

He would rest for one night.

The rest could wait until tomorrow.

He rose, picked up El’s thin, slight body, and carried him into one of the bedrooms at random, gently placing him on the bed.

Murmuring in his sleep, El rolled over on the mattress.

His platinum hair lay in disarray across the soft cotton pillow.

Lu Yun’s pupils stilled.

His mind returned to the scene from earlier that day—El gripping a table knife and thrusting it straight into the Mightyena.

His thoughts turned.

“Perhaps... he really does have talent?”