Su Feng walked ahead of Pangoro and Swampert, calmly narrating to his livestream audience while pretending not to notice the two Pokémon's miserable state. Internally, he vowed never to anger Gardevoir.
"Pangoro, the Daunting Pokémon. A Fighting/Dark-type with a black-and-white color scheme resembling our nation's giant pandas. Despite their fierce appearance and perpetually scowling expression, Pangoro are loyal and righteous. They despise bullies and will use their raw strength to protect the weak. The bamboo stalk they chew isn't just for show—its vibrations help them pinpoint opponents' locations."
[Livestream Chat]
[Wait, isn't keeping giant pandas illegal?!]
[Pokémon aren't real animals, dude. Chill.]
[Big, scary, but secretly a softie? Total wuxia protagonist vibes!]
"Rrroar. (You know your stuff, human.)" Pangoro clapped Su Feng's shoulder with his bruised paw, nearly knocking him over.
Su Feng: "…"
The group soon arrived at the forest dwellers' settlement—a sprawling grove of ancient trees, their trunks wider than Su Feng's armspan and towering dozens of meters high. Beneath them, a vibrant community thrived: Sceptile sparred with Lucario, Lopunny traded berries with Toxicroak, and herds of younger Pokémon played in the grass. Compared to Magmortar's orderly village, this felt primal yet harmonious.
Su Feng noted several Pokémon stronger than Gardevoir—a hulking Conkeldurr, a battle-scarred Torterra—and finally asked, "Why are you the leader here?"
Gardevoir giggled, "Groon~ (Because I'm the best at beating up dragons~)"
Her Misty Terrain neutralized Dragon-types' advantages, making her the forest's ultimate deterrent. To the dragons, she was a walking tactical nuke.
"Happiii! (Gardevoir!)"
A pink Blissey waddled over, her apron stained with medicinal herbs. "Happi? (Did you find Excadrill? Is he…?)"
Gardevoir nodded. "Groon. (Alive, but unconscious. Pangoro's taking him to your clinic.)"
Blissey's "clinic" was a hollowed-out giant tree filled with woven herb baskets and resting Pokémon. As the head of the Chansey lineage, she trained younger Happiny in healing arts.
"Happi! (Careful with his wounds! Wait—who applied this ointment?)" Her voice faded as she hurried away.
"Groon. (Blissey's clan is beloved here. Every Pokémon owes them their life.)" Gardevoir explained without envy. "Groon. (A wound that takes a week to heal naturally? Blissey fixes it in five minutes.)"
Su Feng nodded. Chansey and Blissey were universal symbols of medical prowess. "But if dragons have their own healers, why keep fighting?"
"Groon. (Blissey work freely on both sides. Healing is sacred—we'd never restrict it.)" Gardevoir's tone turned solemn. "Groon… (As for the conflict…)"
Before she could answer, Su Feng's phone buzzed violently.
[Livestream Chat]
[Blissey my beloved!!!]
[I'd die for that pink egg angel.]
[Wind Bro, ask her to adopt me.]
Ignoring the chaos, Su Feng pressed, "Why are you at war with the dragons?"
Gardevoir's psychic aura flickered—a rare crack in her composure. "Groon… (Long ago, humans sealed a terrible power beneath this land. Dragons guard it, fearing its misuse. We… disagree on how to handle the threat.)"
Su Feng froze. Humans were involved?