Chapter 163 Reception

Chapter 63: Reception

Along the wide street neatly paved with large, dark stone bricks, the bustling crowd was filled with a lively atmosphere, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to a city situated in such an era of calamity.

If Luyun had not entered from outside the city gates, seeing this vibrant scene, he might have even felt as though he were still in his original world.

The cries of roadside peddlers, the playful laughter of children...

Everything inside the city of Qibao stirred a faint sense of nostalgia deep within Luyun, who had not entered human society for a long time, plunging him into a momentary daze.

Although the bustling and lively scene tugged at his heartstrings, Luyun did not forget the purpose of their entry into the city at this moment; finding the official League authorities to settle down was the key.

Although Alec grew up in a small rural village and his originally simple attire looked travel-worn and somewhat unkempt after the long journey,

he couldn't help having a handsome appearance!

His cute and delicate face, polite and gentle tone, coupled with Luyun—who stood right behind him, dressed entirely in pitch black, and looked fierce and menacing—

enabled Alec, with the help of many "kind-hearted" passersby, to smoothly find the League's garrison located in Qibao City.

This was a massive five-story building that appeared somewhat abrupt against the backdrop of the surrounding single-story houses.

The overall architectural design leaned toward simplicity and neatness, devoid of any ornate decorations or bright colors.

On the surface of the dark gray walls, a metallic sheen glimmered slightly under the sunlight, as if the building materials used were identical to those of Qibao City's outer walls.

On the wall facing the street, there was a conspicuous red and white Poké Ball League emblem, marking the special nature of this structure.

The two glass double doors stood open, and humans wearing League trainer uniforms could be seen coming and going from time to time.

Luyun and Alec walked into the building, but their peculiar combination did not attract much attention.

Unlike the civilians on the street outside, the trainers in the lobby all wore solemn expressions and hurried steps, busy with their respective affairs, with almost no one even chatting idly.

This somewhat solemn atmosphere involuntarily caused Luyun to lighten his footsteps considerably.

On one side of the lobby, there were five or six service windows, in front of which a few trainers were handling related business.

Alec clutched the exclusive badge given by Feitang in his hand, his emerald-green eyes scanning the receptionists inside the service windows.

"Found it!"

Alec's eyes lit up, and pulling Luyun along, he trotted toward a window near the northern side.

Inside the glass window stood a beautiful woman wearing a League uniform.

Her smooth, turquoise-green long hair was braided into two pigtails, hanging softly across her chest; a pair of black-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of her high-bridged nose, adding a scholarly aura to her delicate face.

"Hello, excuse me... are you Sister Fina?"

Alec leaned both hands on the service counter and asked politely.

"Yes, little one, is there something you need?"

Fina pointed to the metal name tag pinned to her uniform chest, leaned forward, and answered gently.

Alec reached out and handed the trainer badge from Feitang that he had been clenching in his hand to Fina.

"Sister Feitang said I could get help from you."

Tapping the glasses on the bridge of her nose with slender fingers, Fina took the badge with some surprise.

Turning it over, her gaze swept carefully across the trainer ID number engraved on the back of the badge.

"It's indeed Feitang's."

Fina nodded inwardly.

The trainer badges issued by the League were equivalent to work permits in other professions; through the ID numbers engraved on the back, the identity of a professional trainer could be quickly verified.

Being able to obtain Feitang's badge indicated that the little boy in front of her had won her recognition.

As a good friend of Feitang, she could indeed offer more care and assistance in certain aspects.

For a moment, the professional smile that had originally bloomed on Fina's face involuntarily became a bit more natural.

With a warm gaze and a soft tone:

"Little one, what is your name?"

"Sister, my name is Alec."

"Alright, then little Alec, you..."

Just as Fina was about to ask further, her gaze inadvertently swept past Luyun, who was standing behind Alec.

"Eh?"

A shiny Machop?

The curious words slipped out before she could stop them:

"Is this Machop your Pokémon?"

"No, no, no!"

Faced with Fina's misunderstanding, Alec hurriedly waved his hands in front of his chest and said, somewhat flustered.

"This is a Pokémon I met on the way to Qibao City, and he saved me."

Behind him, Luyun crossed his arms and nodded expressionlessly toward Fina.

A look of astonishment flashed through the pupils hidden behind Fina's glass frames.

In this era following the great cataclysm, most lucid Pokémon in human cities were the descendants of that initial batch.

Due to certain special reasons, the number of wild Pokémon uninfected by nightmare seeds was practically zero, making it impossible for such encounters to occur.

The pitch-black Machop before her could be said to have refreshed Fina's understanding.

At the same time, she inwardly marveled at Alec's good fortune; if he had encountered a nightmare Pokémon, then...

While Fina's thoughts were racing, Alec had already organized his words:

"I live in White Leaf Town near the Cologne Wasteland. The day before yesterday..."

"..."

"What?!"

A female voice mixed with shock and panic echoed through the lobby, causing quite a few trainers to cast curious glances toward Fina's location.

Too preoccupied to care about the surrounding gazes, Fina hurriedly stepped out from behind the service counter with hurried footsteps, grabbed Alec by the hand, and ran toward the staff corridor in the back.

One must know that ever since the official League authorities of Qibao City cleared out the nearby nightmare Pokémon, there hadn't been a large-scale human casualty incident for decades.

Even when accidental situations occasionally occurred, they were merely isolated cases of unfortunate individuals.

An entire village wiped out, like in Alec's case... was no longer something a minor receptionist like her could handle.

She had to take Alec immediately and report this to her superiors!

"Tap, tap, tap!"

Amidst the flustered and hurried footsteps, the figures of the two humans and one Pokémon vanished from the sight of the trainers in the lobby.

......

......

"Beep... beep..."

Inside the dimly lit office,

the rhythmic sound of fingers tapping against the tabletop echoed in the silent air.

Erte sat behind his desk with a pensive expression, looking at Alec before him.

The fine wrinkles formed by his tightly furrowed brow added an extra layer of vicissitudes to his already aging face.

Beside him, Fina stood with her hands crossed at her waist, somewhat uneasily twisting the hem of her uniform.

Her gaze looked somewhat blankly at Alec, who was sitting obediently in the chair, faintly revealing a hint of pity.

Although she had been in the position of a receptionist for nearly two years, this was her first time encountering such a major event, leaving her lacking in experience.

Her good professional training led her to choose to report upward amidst her panic,

yet as for what specific steps to take next, she had no idea either, and could only passively wait.