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Late April.
The temperature was rising.
The cold wind was retreating, replaced by a refreshing spring breeze and the coolness of shedding heavy winter clothes.
Qingcheng was once again lush and green.
As the old saying goes: "Spring has arrived, and nature is rejuvenating. It's the season of restlessness once again—"
Li Xiang felt this famous line from *Animal World* perfectly described Torracat.
Ever since Torracat realized its peak period was approaching, and that it could use its proud flames to deliver powerful blows to other Pokémon under the sun, the entire cat had become quite inflated.
Both in attitude and physique.
"Can you be quiet for a second?!"
Li Xiang nudged Torracat's back with his foot. The cat was acting like a lunatic, yelling at the top of its lungs for no reason, making it impossible for him to focus on watching videos.
Torracat ignored him, slapping Li Xiang's calf with its paw and continuing to yell.
Not long after, it summoned a little blue dog holding a glass bowl.
"Riolu..."
The latter looked at Torracat with resentment but still gently placed the glass bowl in front of it.
Torracat glanced at the bowl, noticing the slimy, pungent red fruit inside, and nodded in satisfaction. "Meow!"
'You're dismissed.'
The fruit was a Tamato Berry, known for its spicy flavor, similar to onions and garlic, and was one of Torracat's favorite berries.
It was also a key ingredient for making spicy-flavored Pokéblocks.
Riolu's eyes were teary—burned by the Tamato Berry—but it didn't dare wipe them with its hands, as they were still covered in the berry's juice. It quickly turned to wash its hands.
"Fraokie!"
On a nearby shelf, Froakie looked at Torracat with disdain, thinking it was exploiting Riolu's gratitude and wasn't acting like a hero.
Ever since Riolu felt indebted to Torracat, it had become almost entirely obedient to the fiery cat, enduring conflicts whenever they arose.
This only fueled Torracat's arrogance.
Just now, Torracat had been lying on its side on the floor, shaking its head and wailing like a drama queen: " (;Д｀) I want hand-squeezed juice!!!"
And it had to be made by Riolu personally—50% pulp, 50% juice, no skin, no ice—or it would throw a tantrum.
Riolu, unable to resist Torracat's demands, had gone to the kitchen and made a bowl using Tamato Berries.
The poor dog didn't know that peeling the berries underwater could reduce the irritation. By the time it finished, its face, eyes, and hands were burning red.
Meanwhile, Torracat kept yelling from the room.
"Meow~"
The inflated Torracat glanced at Froakie with disdain, happily enjoying its afternoon snack.
It understood Riolu's temperament far better than this edgy tree frog. Even though Riolu had left looking exasperated, deep down, it was probably thrilled.
Riolu was the kind of Pokémon that would go out of its way to repay any kindness it received. If it couldn't repay the debt, it would become restless.
"Repay kindness with kindness, repay grudges with vengeance"—that was Riolu's motto.
If Torracat hadn't done this, Riolu would have been deeply troubled.
After all, it was a life-saving favor, and the simple-minded pup couldn't think of a way to repay it.
"Meow!"
Torracat looked down with pride. As the self-proclaimed leader of their team, it felt it was its duty to take care of its juniors, both physically and mentally.
"Meow~"
It rubbed against Li Xiang's calf, as if asking, "Isn't that right, buddy?"
Feeling his leg itch, Li Xiang looked down and noticed Torracat and the glass bowl. "Who gave you the fruit... never mind. Come here, let's witness the dawn of a new era!"
He picked up Torracat and placed it on the computer desk.
On the screen, a live-streamed product launch was underway.
A tall, thin white man with a receding hairline was enthusiastically presenting a large, notched-screen phone with a bulky back and a small display.
Yes.
This was the launch of a new era—the era of smartphones.
The brand wasn't Apple, but it was essentially no different.
A substitute, really.
But from this day forward, people would rapidly enter the age of big data. Smartphone prices would first soar to new heights, then plummet, becoming affordable for everyone.
The future was becoming more convenient.
"Meow?"
Torracat glanced at the screen, not quite understanding.
"Let me tell you, this thing is going to be a big deal. Some people will even sell their own body parts to get one," Li Xiang mused, feeling a sense of nostalgia as he witnessed the arrival of a new era once again.
With smartphones, it wouldn't be long before someone developed a Rotom Phone.
Li Xiang was very interested in this, as he had been captivated by Ash's Rotom in *Pokémon Sun and Moon*. Its snarky personality and black-tech capabilities were incredibly cool.
At the door, Riolu walked in, holding up its paws.
It had spent a long time washing the berry juice off its hands, which now felt slightly burned and were shedding fur.
"Hey, Riolu! Ever thought about becoming an internet addict?" Li Xiang raised an eyebrow at Riolu.
Riolu looked confused, hopping up to rest its paws on Li Xiang's shoulder. After glancing at the screen, it quickly lost interest and jumped back down.
The internet wasn't its thing. Compared to digital entertainment, Riolu preferred the feeling of pushing its body to the limit during training, the soreness of muscles after a good workout.
The smooth, sweet taste of chocolate after training, the mouthwatering sensation, was something Riolu enjoyed.
Add in the occasional movie or TV show with Purugly and the others, along with some snacks, and that was more than enough to keep it satisfied.
"Sigh, you had a chance, but you blew it," Li Xiang sighed, ruffling Riolu's head. Being an internet addict would be a plus in the future.
Though it wouldn't be very popular in real life.
The smartphone launch was nearing its end, and the audience erupted into applause.
Li Xiang thought it was over and was about to close the webpage, but the next moment, something on the screen made his eyes widen.
"...A projector. A small, portable holographic projector..."
The white man introduced the device to the audience, a smile spreading across his face as he spoke.
Black tech!
The black tech of the Pokémon world!
Li Xiang's breathing quickened. When it came to black tech, the Pokémon world had no shortage of it.
This device was the holographic communicator from *Pokémon X and Y*, developed by the company owned by the main antagonist, Lysandre.
In the games, its functions were relatively simple, mainly used for texting, video calls, and receiving 3D image data.
But even that was impressive.
After all, it was small, portable, and who wouldn't want one?
"Is this a leap into the future?!"
Li Xiang couldn't believe his eyes. With portable holographic projection, the smartphone's purpose would be to integrate these features before fading into obscurity.
Who would want to be a phone zombie when they could watch holograms?
...Wait.
Perhaps smartphones would absorb holographic projection.
Li Xiang pondered. Smartphones became popular because they eliminated the cumbersome buttons of traditional phones, replacing them with simple touchscreens for ease of use.
Coupled with large screens and high-definition visuals, they became the darlings of the new era.
But for at least the next decade or so, holograms wouldn't be able to replicate the responsiveness of touchscreens. Even in the Pokémon world, this wasn't a thing.
Therefore, ut was more likely that holographic projection would be integrated into smartphones to enhance the user experience.
Touchscreens wouldn't be replaced anytime soon.
It was all just hype.
Thinking this, Li Xiang felt a bit more at ease.
However, this smartphone launch stirred up quite a storm both online and offline.
Both the smartphone and the holographic projector became hot topics of discussion.
Li Xiang's household was no exception, but their discussion took a slightly different turn.
"This wave... we made almost 100,000," Li Zhanhan said, uncharacteristically holding a cigar, his expression serious.
Mrs. Yin, equally uncharacteristically, didn't stop him. Instead, she leaned close to him, watching the stock market.
Last year, shortly after Li Xiang had transmigrated, he had relentlessly urged Li Zhanhan to buy various stocks. Anything that felt familiar, regardless of the name, he insisted on buying.
Li Zhanhan had been skeptical at first. He didn't dabble in stocks and didn't understand them, believing it was just throwing money away.
He even used the example of a relative who had lost everything in the stock market and ended up jumping off a building to warn Li Xiang.
But over time, worn down by Li Xiang's persistence, he reluctantly invested a small amount, and then forgot about it.
Until now.
"This growth is insane," Li Zhanhan muttered, not understanding how the value could skyrocket overnight.
He had only invested a small amount as a test.
Li Xiang was equally baffled.
In his memory, Apple's stock usually dropped after a product launch. The real growth came after multiple sellouts and global popularity.
Since when did stocks rise the day after a launch?
Something was off. Very off.
Had the world changed so much that even stock algorithms were different?
But he also knew Li Zhanhan hadn't invested much, and leaving the money there wouldn't hurt. It was fine to let it sit.
"Li Xiang, how did you know it would rise?" Li Zhanhan turned the question to his son.
"Because it's been rising for years. I just felt it would keep going up," Li Xiang replied confidently. "The same goes for the other stocks. I thought they'd all rise!"
The couple exchanged a glance, momentarily speechless.
"...Forget it. I won't touch it anymore. I'll just leave it as it is," Li Zhanhan said, though he had been tempted to buy more. After some thought, he decided against it.
Logically, as the owner of a large logistics company, dabbling in stocks wasn't unusual, but Li Zhanhan had a psychological aversion to such uncertainties.
Mrs. Yin, who also didn't understand much about stocks, nodded in support of her husband.
Li Xiang, seeing this, thought, 'No way! Dad's letting gold slip through his fingers!' He immediately started trying to convince him to invest more.
Unexpectedly.
Li Zhanhan simply handed the stock trading account over to him.
"If you want to invest, I'll support you. You're not a kid anymore, and I'll give you money for it," he said seriously. "If you lose it all, so be it. But I won't allow you to get addicted to it. Otherwise—"
"I'll break your legs."
Li Zhanhan's tone was calm, but Li Xiang knew his father was dead serious.
Even Mrs. Yin seemed to share the sentiment.
He had no choice but to nod in agreement.
He didn't plan to play the stock market much anyway. The money would likely sit there untouched until it was time to sell.
After all, when gold falls at your feet, even if you're already wealthy, you still pick it up.
Who would say no to more money?