Chapter 36: Leaving the Great Marsh
Chen Xi looked at Zhen Xing thoughtfully, clearly understanding that Chi Ri had not come because of him.
"Are you Chi Ri Priest? Boss... Boss is right ahead. Let's go together; we can definitely save him!"
When Zhen Xing saw Chi Ri, his heart was filled with endless hope; he was so excited he could barely speak.
Zhen Xing knew that Chen Xi couldn't help him with this matter, nor could Ci Lang, but Chi Ri might be able to.
Because Chen Xi's Floette was only a Master Pokémon. To rescue Shi Ying, let alone a Master Pokémon, even a Quasi-Heavenly King Pokémon would be cannon fodder in front of a Tianwang Trainer!
Therefore, Zhen Xing didn't say anything to Chen Xi about going to the rescue.
Even when he saw Chen Xi coming to rescue him, Zhen Xing didn't turn back to rescue Chi Ri again.
Because Zhen Xing knew very well that even if the three of them turned back to save him, it would be a meaningless suicide.
Most importantly, Chen Xi and Ci Lang, who had backgrounds, might not die, but he would certainly die.
But Chi Ri Priest was different. Since Boss Shi Ying asked him to follow Chi Ri Priest, Chi Ri must have a reason worth following.
At least, he definitely possessed combat power not inferior to Boss Shi Ying, and a dream that led to the same destination!
"You lead the way!"
Chi Ri coldly glanced at Zhen Xing, but his gaze quickly fell on Chen Xi and Ci Lang. His eyes were extremely cold, as if his entire being had frozen.
"They are my friends, not enemies!" Zhen Xing immediately stepped forward and said.
Hearing Zhen Xing's words, Chi Ri solemnly said, "Two young noble Masters, the following matter is an internal affair among us commoner Trainers. Please do not get overly involved!"
"Why..." Ci Lang's anger flared up at these words, and he looked completely unconvinced.
They had painstakingly defeated the Spirit Hunters, and then you came to pick up the scraps and act so arrogant. Why!?
Chen Xi quickly pulled Ci Lang back, nodding and bowing decisively, displaying a fawning attitude to the fullest, not at all like a young noble Master.
Indeed, the 'diaosi' temperament of his previous life could never be easily changed by reincarnation or transmigration.
Chen Xi decisively said, "Chi Ri Priest, please rest assured, we haven't seen anyone or anything here today!
No, wait, weren't we going to the water-type mud pool for a bath?
How did we get lost?
Torterra, let's go!"
Chen Xi held Ci Lang tightly and decisively left. As for the situation here, Chen Xi really didn't want to get involved!
Because Chen Xi hadn't expected to encounter Chi Ri, the future leader of Team Galactic, this time.
This matter was too high-level; he was just a twelve-year-old child with small arms and legs!
Was this something he could easily participate in?
Was he tired of living, so he was looking for excitement!
So Chen Xi said nothing, taking Ci Lang and disappearing from Chi Ri's sight as quickly as possible, fearing that if they were slow, they wouldn't be able to leave.
The rumbling Torterra galloped through the Great Marsh. At least, its momentum absolutely made it impossible to tell that it was fleeing.
"What a slippery one. I didn't expect such a person to come from an aristocratic family!" Chi Ri sighed, watching Chen Xi leave.
However, Chi Ri quickly recovered and looked at Zhen Xing, saying, "Get on, lead the way!"
"Yes!" Zhen Xing nodded, grabbing Honchkrow's leg, rather than sitting on Honchkrow as Chi Ri had said.
Towards Chi Ri, Zhen Xing naturally didn't have the same closeness as with Shi Ying; he only felt fear and respect.
"Chen Xi, who exactly is that guy! Are we just going to watch Zhen Xing follow him?" Ci Lang asked.
"He is the youngest Star Radiance Priest of the Sinnoh Temple, an Elite level individual. Under normal circumstances, such a high-ranking figure wouldn't easily attack us, but who knows? After all, he is an Elite level individual!" Chen Xi sighed.
"Do you think Zhen Xing will be okay following him?!" Ci Lang asked, somewhat worried.
Chen Xi very solemnly said, "The strength of such a person is beyond our ability to interfere!
Even our backgrounds are not worth mentioning when facing them.
If we are too self-important, we might really die!"
Although Chen Xi loved to flaunt his background and even tried to leverage it as much as possible.
But Chen Xi knew very well that his background still had some effect on Quasi-Heavenly King Trainers, but if he were to face an Elite Trainer, then the consideration would be how much resources the Yuan Family would need to be compensated for killing him to resolve the matter.
After all, if it was greatly beneficial to the Yuan Family, replacing a family head wouldn't be an issue, let alone just replacing a direct descendant like himself.
Theoretically, he had the sole right of inheritance to the Yuan Family, but if he truly died, as long as someone married into his sister's family, their children would still become direct descendants of the Yuan Family.
In this world, if most secular rules were still like his previous life, competing on wealth, background, and connections.
But once a Trainer reached the Elite level, the competition was purely on strength—simple, direct, and undeniable strength.
Because Elite Trainers were actually a significant part of this world's rules.
The reason why the Yuan Family's decline was irreversible was precisely because the Yuan Family had not had an Elite Trainer to support them for many years.
Of course, it was an Elite Trainer, not a Trainer who owned an Elite Pokémon; these are two different concepts.
For an Elite Trainer, their Pokémon are an extension of their will, and the Pokémon's tactical system is a distillation of the Trainer's life experiences.
Even if a Pokémon dies in battle, as long as its quality is sufficient and resources are available, it is still possible to train another one.
Because the Trainer is the Pokémon's Master; the Pokémon is only the result of the Pokémon Trainer's talent and growth.
Trainers who only happen to possess an Elite Pokémon, if they cannot clarify their own will and understand their own path, even if they coincidentally acquire an Elite Pokémon, they are merely superficial Elite Trainers.
If their Pokémon dies in battle, then they are nothing!
Because it's almost impossible to have another obedient Elite Pokémon.
A true Elite Trainer is one who, even if all their Pokémon are defeated, as long as they still have a breath, can still find suitable Pokémon and regain Elite combat power.
Such Elite Trainers are very difficult to produce.
It requires Trainers to have different life experiences, encounter various opportunities and events, and gain insights, thereby choosing Pokémon suitable for themselves, building their own tactical system, solidifying their tactical thinking, and even the Pokémon themselves, under the Trainer's subtle influence, become a reflection of the Pokémon Trainer.
Each Pokémon, to some extent, is most similar to its Trainer.
It's just that before a Trainer reaches a certain level, few people realize this.
But every top Trainer understands that the Pokémon is themselves, and they are the Pokémon.
At this moment, Ci Lang listened to Chen Xi's solemn warning with some surprise and helplessness, but in the end, he could only nod.
Because Ci Lang knew very well that Chen Xi had no reason to lie to him.
However, Chen Xi laughed heartily and said to Ci Lang, "Don't worry so much. Since Chi Ri Priest knows Gym Leader Shi Ying, and he specifically let us leave, it means he's definitely handling this matter, and Zhen Xing will be absolutely fine.
Now, we just need to enjoy this Great Hunt properly, for example, by catching a Pokémon!"
Ci Lang smiled slightly upon hearing Chen Xi's words and nodded, "Okay... okay, I'll listen to you!"
At the same time, Chi Ri and Zhen Xing arrived at Shi Ying's location. Scattered here and there were several corpses of Dragon-type Pokémon.
Clearly, after Zhen Xing fled, battles still occurred here, and these battles were short and intense!
Two Spirit Hunters were covered in blood, and Hunter King Ze Yi himself looked as if he had been hit head-on by a meteor, lying in a deep pit, somewhat mangled. If not for the blood-stained Hunter King's cloak, he might not have been recognizable.
At this moment, Shi Ying lay on a skinny and scarred Snorlax.
The originally massive Snorlax now looked particularly pitiful, as if every last drop of fat had been squeezed out of it.
It was still gasping for breath, but there was almost no air being drawn in.
Clearly, Snorlax won this battle, but the price it paid must have been its life and all its fat.
"You've come..." Shi Ying turned his head slightly to see Chi Ri, a faint smile on his face, and said, "Then the future is in your hands!"
Shi Ying's last breath, which he had been holding onto, left him as he finished speaking, and he closed his eyes, as if merely falling asleep.
"Boss, Boss, Boss!"
Zhen Xing looked at the heavily wounded Shi Ying and couldn't help but rush to him, crying bitterly.
He clearly knew that the man who was like a Master and a father to him would never get up again.
"Idiot!" Chi Ri muttered softly.
Chi Ri watched Zhen Xing, now asleep, with an expressionless face.
He slowly raised his head, unaware that the moon had already risen in the sky, illuminating this forest where only wails remained. He had, after all, arrived a little late.
Perhaps, even if he had arrived earlier, it would have been meaningless.
It was likely that when the hunters decided to attack Shi Ying, Shi Ying had already embraced the idea of death.
Because the delicate balance he maintained had shattered, so he could only use his own death to reconstruct that balance.
Unless he was willing to follow his own path and create a new world with him.
"These foolish Spirit Hunters never even considered what they were killing.
They personally strangled an attempt to improve the decaying Sinnoh through peaceful means!
Indeed, to change Sinnoh now, it can only be reshaped by destroying Sinnoh!"
The path of peace was impossible; to forge a new world, the old world had to be shattered!
This was the path Shi Ying had explored for him with his life. Chi Ri clenched his fists, his resolve hardening even further.
To be honest, Chen Xi had no idea about the relationship between Chi Ri and Shi Ying, nor did he know what Shi Ying's death meant to Chi Ri.
In Chen Xi's mind, Zhen Xing was the future villain BOSS, and an extremely cold and intelligent one at that.
It was best to keep a respectful distance from such a person until he reached the level of a Tianwang Trainer.
In the following days, Chen Xi and Ci Lang continued to wander in the Great Marsh.
In the marsh, Chen Xi remained focused on helping Staryu and Torterra raise their levels. By the end of the Great Hunt, Torterra's level had reached 48, and Staryu's level had also caught up, reaching 47.
This entire Great Marsh became the best training ground for these two Pokémon. Chen Xi, for his part, didn't encounter any Pokémon he particularly liked, so he focused his efforts on diligently training these two Pokémon.
Even Floette had gained an understanding of Ground-type Awakening Power in the Great Marsh.
As for Nidoran♂, he also began some basic training, but Chen Xi did not allow Nidoran♂ to join in battles.
Because Chen Xi was consciously slowing down Nidoran♂'s growth level, hoping it could lay a solid foundation as much as possible.
Then, when it evolved into Nidorino, it would naturally make rapid progress with professional training, so Chen Xi was not in a hurry.
Compared to the growth of Chen Xi's Pokémon, Ci Lang gained an extra harvest here.
He caught a green-quality Treecko, one of the Hoenn starter Pokémon, capable of growing to Quasi-Heavenly King level.
Heaven knows why a Hoenn Pokémon would appear here, and even more, why this particular Treecko was injured, then treated by Ci Lang, and then, without even a battle, stubbornly refused to leave Ci Lang's side.
In short, Chen Xi was utterly amazed by this scene.
This legendary skill of catching Pokémon through emotion truly left onlookers dumbfounded.
Chen Xi had never seen it before.
And now that Ci Lang used it, Chen Xi could only say he was impressed.
Ci Lang had also asked Chen Xi why he didn't catch Pokémon in the Great Marsh.
Chen Xi couldn't possibly say that these Pokémon weren't good enough for him, as that would make him seem too picky, so he just said he hadn't found any Pokémon he connected with.
And just like that, this bustling Great Hunt came to an end.
Trainers coming out of the Great Hunt could sell the various resources collected from the Great Marsh to the Wetland Shrine nearby, or they could take them with them, which was fine.
However, if they were willing to sell to the Wetland Shrine, the Wetland Shrine's platform was also willing to open up to these Spirit Hunters.
This was the most valuable aspect for these Spirit Hunters, as many of them lacked complete monetization channels.
A huge platform like the Wetland Shrine could easily pay for resources for Superior or Master Trainers.
And being able to acquire these hunters' spoils at a low price through this method, forming a scissor-gap transaction that satisfied both parties, was also a very good choice for the Wetland Shrine.