Chapter 9
: Grandpa's Pangolin and Mayor Lewis
Goodbye, heavy mud horse.
"Hiss~"
After bidding farewell to the heavy mud-drawn horse, Xia Ming led the young Gilas forward along the wide road. The remaining stretch of road was no longer within the service area of the heavy mud-drawn horse, and he had to measure it on his own two feet.
Xia Ming planned to ask Mayor Lewis about the changes that had taken place in the town over the years.
Xia Ming's grandfather passed away when he was twelve years old. That was the last time he stayed in Stardew Valley. It can be said that he has spent the last four years at the Pokémon Academy since his grandfather's death and has no intention of returning here.
As for Xia Ming's parents?
Unfortunately, Xia Ming's father was not a trainer. He started a company in Feiyun City with some funds given to him by Xia Ming's grandfather, and his mother was a gentle and considerate type.
Unfortunately, during Xia Ming's summer vacation when he was eight years old, while playing with his grandfather on a farm in the countryside, they were unexpectedly drawn into the conflict between the two factions of the recently split Plasma Team and the Alliance's siege against them, and in the end, they were all confirmed to have perished.
He still remembers the devastation reported on TV in Feiyun City, where almost half the city was destroyed by powerful Pokémon. It was also the first time Xia Ming had realized the power of trainers who could be called "Elite Four" and the strength of their ace Pokémon.
If Xia Ming hadn't chosen to return to his hometown for summer vacation, he probably would have died in that conflict too.
So, unsurprisingly, Xia Ming had the idea of going to the countryside to become a farmer after graduation, rather than becoming a traditional trainer and embarking on an adventure where he could be killed at any time.
…………
The walking distance wasn't long; after about ten minutes, Xia Ming brought Young Gilas to the entrance of the town.
A sign was placed fifty meters outside the town on the side of the main road, with the words clearly written on it:
Stardew Valley welcomes you.
The town in front of us is filled with houses, dozens of which can be seen with the naked eye, including several large mansions that look expensive.
There were over a hundred tourists and Pokémon coming and going, and some familiar figures among them caught Xia Ming's attention.
"Bang bang bang!"
The first person to greet Xia Ming was not Mayor Lewis or his friends, but a gigantic, tan-colored Pokémon—Sandslash!
It was a giant beast that suddenly emerged from the earth and appeared before Xia Ming's eyes. Even if an ordinary Sandslash is raised to the level of an "Elite Four" Pokémon, it is only about 1.7 meters tall.
But this Sandslash is a full three meters tall! And it's not even a "Champion" Pokémon; it's just the ace Pokémon of the Gym Leader.
Pokémon like these all share a common prefix: Overlord!
They are the darlings of their kind, stronger than other Pokémon of the same level at every stage.
Name: Pangolin
Rating: 72
Skill level range: Ace! (Weak, Average, Excellent, Ace, Master)
Qualification: One in a million! (Ordinary, one in a hundred, one in ten thousand, unparalleled throughout history)
Special Trait: Overlord
"It's Sandslash! Long time no see~ Come to Larvitar, let's get acquainted. This is Sandslash. He's the only Pokémon my grandfather left behind. He's been taking care of the farm while I'm away."
Upon meeting Pangolin, Xia Ming naturally began to introduce him to Young Gilas, one of the few remaining "relatives" of his.
His grandfather's ace Pokémon, and also a great helper on the farm. After his grandfather died, all of his Pokémon were released, but this Sandslash remained on the farm even after it was released from its Poké Ball.
Xia Ming played with him a lot when he was a child, and his clothes were often stained by the mud pits that Pangolin led him into, and then washed clean by his grandfather's laughter.
"Yoji~"
The young Gilas wasn't shy at all; on the contrary, it greeted Sandslash very enthusiastically.
"Bang~"
Pangolin responded gently, displaying a tenderness that didn't match his fierce image.
Seemingly seeing his younger self, Sandslash slowly crouched down in front of Young Gilas, then pulled out a "hard stone" rich in rock properties from under the scales on his back.
"Young Yoshi!"
Upon receiving the gift from Sandslash, Larvitar first bowed excitedly to express his gratitude, then looked up at his trainer.
Xia Ming smiled slightly. The Mountain King was still as gentle as ever, just like his grandfather.
"Since it was given to you by Sandslash, you can decide how to deal with it as you see fit."
"Aww~"
Upon hearing the trainer's permission, Young Gilas didn't hesitate and popped the hard rock into its mouth, swallowing it whole. A look of happiness and satisfaction spread across its face.
"Yukichi Yukichi~"
These special Pokémon items not only grant Pokémon special boosts when worn, but many naturally formed items are also excellent tonics for their respective Pokémon.
A small, hard rock like this is enough to equal a percent of the energy contained in an ordinary mountain peak, which can directly accelerate the development of Young Giras.
Perhaps in less than two days, after digesting this hard rock, Young Gilas will reach level eight or nine.
After receiving the gift, Young Gilas asked Xia Ming that long-unheard question:
"Bang bang bang?"
"I'm not leaving. This time I'm back to take over Grandpa's farm completely. I'll need to trouble you, Pangolin King, from now on."
"Bang!"
Pangolin patted its chest happily. This was great! It hadn't dug in the ground with its claws since its old friend left.
Now that his trainer's junior intends to take over his trainer's hard work, he is not only happy but also willing to give him his greatest help.
Pokémon are creatures with rich emotions, especially the "Ace" who form deep friendships and bonds with their trainers. This is not just a title of strength, but also a manifestation of friendship and bond.
Pokémon like them might stay with their deceased trainers' homeland, descendants, or wishes until their death, never giving up and even willing to sacrifice their lives for it.
"Oh, it's Xia. Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? If my old friend hadn't told me that Natsume's Sandslash had suddenly appeared in town, I wouldn't have known you were back."
From afar, a robust yet still energetic voice drifted over, and Xia Ming immediately recognized who it was:
"Grandpa Lewis! I'm sorry, my return was actually a spur-of-the-moment decision. I've already graduated from the Pokémon School, but I thought about it and decided to come back to inherit your farm. I was just about to take my friends and visit everyone."
"Oh? You're planning to inherit that farm? I never expected that. I thought you were going to rent it out and go out to make your way in the world like your father."
Lewis was surprised and delighted, and even his speech became much more fluent:
"Being a farmer is great! It's safe and comfortable, and you have a lot of free time after the busy farming season. Where are you planning to go first? I don't have anything to do anyway, so I'll go with you."