Chapter 27: High-End Maneuvers

"Next, don't blink. I'm going to show you how to seek help from wild Pokémon in the wilderness. This is a crucial survival skill, so please, I beg you, do not blink." Qian Lin stared at the camera with an incredibly serious expression.

As he spoke, he continuously pulled berries from his backpack. Different flavors and varieties piled up on the ground, creating a colorful display. Whether they tasted good or not was beside the point; they certainly looked impressive.

[Good grief, are you fishing? Is this how you seek "help" from Pokémon?]
[I trusted you so much, and you’re just pulling a scam on me?]
[Oh, I get it now! All I need is a pile of berries.]
[If I had that many berries, would I really be stuck at home watching your livestream?]
[Wait, where are you pulling all those berries from? Does that crummy backpack have bottomless storage?]
[Standard procedure. Having watched the last stream, I’m completely unfazed.]

Qian Lin’s display of "munitions" truly stunned the audience. They had expected some high-end, sophisticated maneuver, only to find it was just the age-old lure of berries—all while he maintained such a stern, professional tone. Condemnation; they absolutely had to condemn him for this.

Watching the pile of dozens of berries, Qian Lin chuckled. He wiped a bead of non-existent sweat from his forehead and, under the wide-eyed gaze of the Swablu in his arms, shouldered his backpack once more. "For Pokémon, human food is edible, but berries contain the essential energy they require. Compared to human food, they will always prefer berries."

"Berries are indispensable to Pokémon. If you want wild Pokémon to help you, it’s best to prepare a surplus to trade with them."

That’s right—trade.

Pokémon are not lacking in intelligence; some are even vastly more intelligent than humans. They simply have pure hearts and don't do evil, but that doesn't mean they will help you for free. Aside from a few genuinely friendly ones, most will choose to ignore you.

"Now, we wait." He sat back against a large tree, cradling the Swablu, and smiled at the camera. "I hope a canine Pokémon like a Growlithe shows up, or perhaps one that has seen the person I’m looking for."

Waiting time always feels long, but with Swablu and the chat room, it wasn’t too boring. Qian Lin stroked the Swablu while chatting with the viewers. About ten minutes later, a small yellow figure peeked out from the fruit grove.

"That is..." Qian Lin’s eyes lit up.

[Whoa, a little cutie I’ve never seen before.]
[What an adorable Pokémon!]
[Stop staring and get the lure ready... I mean, hurry up and introduce it to us!]

Perhaps noticing Qian Lin sitting behind the pile of berries, the little creature was startled and shrank back, but seemingly unable to resist the bounty on the ground, it slowly poked its head out again.

"Pi... Pichu..."

"It’s a Pichu." Qian Lin stood up gently. He didn't explain immediately, instead addressing the creature directly: "Hello, Pichu. Have you seen a human who looks like me? He should have been here a few days ago."

That’s right—ask directly. Don't beat around the bush, or you’ll only make the Pokémon wary.

"Pichu?" The Pichu, hiding behind a small tree, was stunned by the question. It seemed to think for a moment before shaking its head. "Pichu~"

*I haven't seen him.*

"I see." Qian Lin sighed softly but kept his smile. "Thank you, Pichu. Could you help me ask your companions or other Pokémon you know around here? I really need to find that person."

"Also, feel free to take some of these berries. If you or your friends know where he is, or can help me find him, I’ll give all of these berries to you." Qian Lin’s voice was gentle.

Pichu tilted its head, seemingly weighing his words. Qian Lin didn't rush, simply smiling as he watched it.

After about ten seconds, Pichu stepped out from behind the tree, its large ears perked up, approaching slowly with evident nervousness. When it reached the pile, it let out a soft sound, then with lightning speed, snatched a berry larger than its own head and turned to bolt. Perhaps because the berry was too big, it tripped halfway, but it scrambled up instantly and kept running, disappearing from sight in seconds.

Qian Lin’s eye twitched. "Am I really that scary?"

Swablu, clutching a half-eaten Oran berry, looked at Qian Lin and nodded very earnestly.

Qian Lin: "..."

[Hahahaha!]
[A critical hit from your own daughter! That’s what you get for not explaining things to us. You lost your berries and got your heart pricked. Serves you right.]
[Serves you right!]
[But it’s so cute! Is it called a Pichu? I want to raise one.]
[Looks like it’s barely bigger than my palm, about the same size as the Swablu.]
[Cute, just as cute as the Swablu.]

The viewers actually knew that Qian Lin would prioritize the Pokémon over the chat; he had explained his reasoning during the last stream. They were just teasing him for the fun of it.

Qian Lin rolled his eyes and sat back down. "The berries aren't a loss. Pichu will tell its friends about what happened here, and other Pokémon will come."

Probably, anyway.

"Now, about the Pichu." Qian Lin pulled out his phone, connected to the drone to open his records, and pulled up a photo of the Pichu. While editing the data to send to the Pokémon Research Institute, he began his explanation: "Pichu, Electric-type, Tiny Mouse Pokémon. The pre-evolved form of Pikachu."

"Because it’s a juvenile, it hasn't mastered the use of its electricity. Since the electric sacs on its cheeks are very small, it can't store much power. When it gets surprised, laughs, or is scared, it will discharge electricity instantly. If it’s not careful, it ends up paralyzing itself."

"However," Qian Lin finished sending the information and looked up at the camera, "Pichu’s electricity is only weak compared to other Pokémon. For you guys, a Pichu could easily send you to the afterlife."

The humans of this world were no match for those in the Pokémon world. For them, a Pichu’s shock might just cause numbness, but for people here, it could be fatal.

[Uh... cute, but I can't keep one. Swablu is better.]
[Terrifying.]
[What do you mean 'for us'? Aren't you a human too?]
[Good thing it was far away just now.]

Qian Lin smiled without answering.

Truthfully, his body had been enhanced by the system. By the system's standards, his current physical state would be formidable even in the Pokémon world. The occasional stray discharge from a Pichu wasn't a major problem for him.

Of course, that didn't include actual moves—those were a completely different beast, and he wasn't exactly a "Super Human" like Ash Ketchum.

"Alright, now it’s time to wait some more."