"Squeak! Squeak!"
Though unfamiliar with the Pokémon's cries, Xiao Da sensed urgency in its raspy voice. Years around Pokémon taught her their calls rarely lied—this one needed help.
"Squeak…"
The cries grew weaker. Xiao Da sprinted through the undergrowth, her plains-honed agility letting her dodge roots and rocks. Soon, she spotted the source: a gray-white mouse-like Pokémon standing upright, frantically clawing at a boulder sealing a burrow.
Unlike Rattata's feral sharpness, this Pokémon had round ears, stubby limbs, and oversized paws—adorable yet desperate.
"Need help?" Xiao Da whispered, stepping into view.
The mouse—one half of a Tandemaus pair—flinched but nodded. "Squeak!"
Inside the burrow, muffled squeaks echoed. The boulder fit the entrance like a cork, trapping its partner. With no other exits, oxygen was dwindling.
Xiao Da stepped back, tossing Snorlax's Poké Ball. "Move aside."
Click.
The towering Snorlax materialized, snoring loudly. Tandemaus stared, dwarfed by his foot alone.
"Snorlax, wake up!" Xiao Da patted his belly. No response. She pulled out a jar of custom Poké Puffs. "Dinnertime!"
Snorlax's eyes snapped open. "ROAR!" Food > sleep. Always.
After devouring the treat, Snorlax lumbered toward the boulder. Xiao Da pointed. "Move it, don't smash—"
Too late. Snorlax's Hammer Arm glowed brown, launching the rock into orbit.
"BOOM!!!"
Xiao Da facepalmed. "I said move, not… ugh. Hope that doesn't hit anything."
Freed, the second Tandemaus burst out, reuniting with its partner in a teary squeak-fest. Xiao Da offered them Poké Puffs, which they inhaled.
"Want to join me? Unlimited snacks," she said, holding two Poké Balls.
The pair nodded. A tap absorbed both into one Ball.
Click.
Xiao Da blinked. "You… share a Ball? Isn't that cramped?"
Sunset painted the sky crimson. Su Feng sipped fish stew by the lakeside camp, savoring the broth. "This soup? A masterpiece."
[Live Chat Reactions]
[Chef Su Feng strikes again!]
[Forget battling—open a restaurant!]
[Wait, isn't he a Pokémon expert?]
[Shhh, let him cook!]
As Su Feng bragged, rustling foliage announced Cheng Meng's return. Her usual bedhead was now sleek, her posture oddly refreshed.
"Su Feng," she greeted.
He raised an eyebrow. "Did you sneak off for a spa day without me?"
Cheng Meng: "…"