24 Going to Meidao

"Chansey, come here," Kanraku waved at her.

Seeing that Kanraku had found her, she became frightened and withdrew from sight. Observing her actions, Kanraku sighed, then walked towards the wall where he found her hiding nervously. Surprisingly, behind her was Growlithe, who also looked frightened upon seeing him.

'What the heck? What a cowardly duo this is!' Kanraku felt amused and unsure about how to deal with them, so he resorted and used his killing technique — "Patting the Head," gently patting Chansey's head.

Feeling the warmth of his palm, Chansey quickly calmed down. She closed her eyes to savor the moment, "Chansey," and then opened them again, smiling at him.

"Come, I will introduce you to them," Kanraku smiled and said.

"…Chansey," Chansey felt hesitant but nodded.

"Let's go, and you, young lad, you should follow as well," Kanraku instructed the frightened Growlithe before heading back towards Gyarados.

Chansey hastily followed his footsteps, avoiding eye contact with the other Pokémon and people. Growlithe, not wanting to be left alone and seeing Chansey as his only support, followed hastily as well. Unlike Chansey, who kept looking down, Growlithe warily surveyed his surroundings, fear evident in his eyes. He was surprised to see four other beasts that looked like him but didn't dare to approach. In this new environment, he remained on guard and followed Chansey closely.

The procession—Kanraku in front, Chansey behind, and Growlithe bringing up the rear—appeared quite comical to the onlookers. Were they playing train?

Kanraku then introduced them to the others, explaining that they were also victims, creating a sense of connection and sympathy among the other beasts towards Chansey and Growlithe.

Floyd didn't recognize Growlithe in its Hisuian form; the one he had met was severely injured, while the one here was fully cured. However, when Kanraku introduced him and Axew mentioned their previous encounter, Floyd was surprised. He hadn't expected the Pokémon he thought might have been abandoned, or worse is death, to have been saved here.

What a coincidence—first Eevee, Meowth, Mankey, and now Growlithe. It's good that they survived.

"Chansey, the food you ate before came from this guy, Floyd. You should thank him," Kanraku informed.

Chansey, who had been looking down, glanced up at Floyd, became embarrassed, and quickly looked down again, saying, "Chansey."

"Floyd-san, she's saying thank you," Kanraku translated.

"Well, it's actually not a big deal," Floyd replied, shaking his head.

"By the way, Floyd-san, I would like to learn about Pokeblocks after researching this beast, if I may? And don't worry, feel free to use any berries you need here; they are on the house," Kanraku offered.

"Really, that helps me a lot, thank you very much. Don't hesitate to ask me anything about Pokeblocks; I'm sure you'll be surprised," Floyd was glad to get the berries for free, especially some high-quality ones like Chilan Berry. He found it challenging to source berries, costing him 1,000 points to scan an entire forest. And there was the ever-hungry Horsea in his group, who knew nothing but eating large portions of food every day.

"Then, the little guy from behind, hey young lad, what should I call you? Let me call-"

"Growlithe, I think Growlithe is more suitable, and it sounds so cute," Floyd interrupted Kanraku, fearing he might come up with another weird name. 

"Growlithe… Growlithe sounds so cute, haha, so it's final, your name must be Growlithe," Kanraku chuckled but gave up on patting his head when Growlithe ran to hide behind Chansey.

Growlithe was confused, not understanding why they were naming him.

"Young lad, do you recognize this guy? He was one of the reasons you healed; he made that potion, so you must thank him."

Hearing this, Growlithe peeked out, then quickly hid again, making a noise in gratitude.

"Don't mind it, Floyd-san. He's a bit scared, but he's saying thank you," Kanraku smiled and said.

"It doesn't matter," Floyd understood Growlithe's situation and wasn't bothered by it. He then introduced them to others, but aside from some Pokémon and Floyd, Chansey and Growlithe were wary of the other humans present.

Next, they focused on the main task at hand—getting help from Chansey to stabilize Gyarados' injury to prevent it from worsening later. Dozens of Wartortle, with Blastoise, assisted in carrying Gyarados to the laboratory. However, before research could begin, a staff member reminded Kanraku that they would land at Xin Shijie, Fengbin Coastline.

Xin Shijie is a rebel city situated on the eastern coast of Meidao. Since the breakout of the beasts five years ago, countless people have sought to claim control of the city as their own. Xin Shijie is not the only city in such a situation; similar scenarios are playing out across various countries. Another example is the states of Mindanao and Visayas in Maharlika, where many ambitious people have self-proclaimed their ownership. The officials in the state of Luzon were powerless to intervene because they were also struggling to control the 25% of land in Luzon. How could they be expected to manage additional states?

The situation in Xin Shijie mirrors this. The leader here aspired to establish their own government, and they succeeded, given that the city is quite remote and quite far away, and officials from Taipei are unable to exert any influence. They don't even dare approach, because dangerous beasts just there hovering in the forest and sea, surrounding them.

Thus, Kanraku can proudly declare that he might be the only one brave enough to sail the sea without worries. With Blastoise and countless Wartortle by his side, he faces no real challenges sailing recklessly.

The reason for their journey to Xin Shijie is to purchase a beast.

"A beast?" The others were confused.

"Yes, the locals here are aware of the effects of some berries, like the ones Floyd and I introduced before. These berries are in high demand, so we can take this opportunity to sell some and choose beasts, especially you two," Kanraku looked at Ivan and Jonathan.

Both hesitated. They had long envied the power of the beasts under Floyd, Kanraku, and others. Although cautious, their prejudice had faded, and a desire had grown within them.

"We have no berries," Jonathan said.

"Don't worry, I'll give you three each. The price for each is likely between 400 thousand - 500 thousand; it's up to you to negotiate. Remember, don't sell for less than the price I've given you." Kanraku handed each of the four people three berries.

"And Floyd, just a reminder, don't reveal how many berries you have in your backpack; it will cause trouble if they find out. Actually, I'm wanted here," Kanraku revealed, recounting how selling a large quantity of berries had drawn attention.

Initially, he managed to buy a substantial number of beasts, but when people realized Kanraku had a plethora of berries, they attacked. Thanks to Blastoise, he escaped, but now, being seen with Lord Blue marked him as the wanted rich guy.

Honestly, Kanraku had considered recruiting in Xin Shijie but abandoned the idea due to the troubles he encountered and the city's unofficial, problematic status.