Chapter 103: Trial Entrance

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that there were many people outside worried about him, Yang Yan felt that it would be a happy thing to stay here for two more days and see more of the scenery. There must be something special here that can't be found outside. Yes, he also wanted to explore more, but in order to tell his family the news that he was still alive as soon as possible, he decided to take part in the trial and leave as soon as he could.

"Are you really that anxious? Those little guys had a lot of fun playing with you yesterday!" Alakazam remarked.

Yang Yan said helplessly, "I can only apologize for this, Alakazam. I thought it over and decided it's better to leave early. There are still many things outside that need my attention, especially matters related to Mu Shou Palace. I need to resolve those as soon as possible. There's no time to waste."

"Well, in that case, I won't force you to stay. Come with me."

Perhaps it's the comfortable life that allows the Pokémon here to live carefree, so they are all kind-hearted, and Alakazam was no exception. Although it knew much about the outside world, it had never really been there. Its personality was as pure and kind as the other Pokémon here.

That's why it cared so much about Yang Yan, Mu Shou Palace, and the Doi Ninjas. This kind of selfless desire to help was very rare.

Yang Yan felt incredibly lucky to have met such a group of Pokémon here.

"Meditite, are you ready? We're about to enter the trial!"

"Medi!"

Meditite raised her clenched fists, a determined look on her face.

Yang Yan smiled, "Alright then, let's head out!" At the same time, he looked at Starmie beside him. "Starmie, let's go. I'm sure you're worried about Grandpa Mitsui, so to get the news to him that we're still alive, we need to get out as soon as possible. You're the strongest among us, so we'll have to rely on you a lot during the trial."

Starmie nodded. It was indeed concerned for Mitsui's safety and wanted to confirm as soon as possible if he was as safe as they were.

More than half an hour later, Yang Yan and his group followed Alakazam to a well-like structure.

A one-meter-high stone wall surrounded the square. In the center of the well, the water swirled, forming a small vortex.

The well was large enough to accommodate about five people or Pokémon entering at once. Of course, Yang Yan's other Pokémon were stored in their Poké Balls. Only Meditite and Starmie were with him now.

"This is the entrance to the trial. Let me ask you one last time: are you sure about this? If you fail the trial, even if you survive, you'll have to wait another year before you can attempt it again."

Yang Yan smiled, "Alakazam, you said that the difficulty of the trial adjusts to our strength. Waiting longer will only make the trial harder, so it seems like the sooner we attempt it, the better."

Several of Yang Yan's Pokémon were in a period of rapid growth. He felt that even if they couldn't pass the trial right away, after training inside for nearly a month, they would definitely have a better chance.

The difficulty wouldn't change once they entered, so it was better to try sooner rather than later.

Plus, Meditite's strength wasn't particularly high, comparable to Butterfree.

You might wonder why Meditite, after a year of training, hadn't gotten stronger. Well, Meditite hadn't participated in many battles that year, so her level being low was understandable, right?

However, Meditite had been improving through independent training, so even if she was still a beginner, her foundation was solid. Yang Yan was confident that after a few more battles, Meditite's level would rise quickly.

Perhaps she would even surpass Butterfree and Sableye.

After hearing Yang Yan's explanation, Alakazam seemed to understand his reasoning. "Human, it seems you've thought this through. You stand a greater chance of passing the trial."

Yang Yan approached the well and peered down, thinking to himself: *This must be something like the portals from fantasy novels that transported us here.*

Looking at the swirling water, he thought, if he didn't know better, he wouldn't jump down even if someone paid him.

Alakazam's voice broke his thoughts. "So far, it's rare for so many of you to take the trial together, so I don't know what to expect. Everything depends on you."

Yang Yan took a deep breath, "Alakazam, thank you so much."

He then turned to the group of cute Pokémon who had been hiding behind and following them all the way, calling out, "I'm sorry! I would love to spend a few more days with you, but my family is waiting for me. I have to leave soon. Consider these gifts as my apology."

With that, Yang Yan reached into his bag, pulling out all the basic food and snacks, except for the energy cubes, and placed them on the ground.

Yang Yan had accepted Alakazam's Everstone as a gift, but he didn't want to owe a favor. Though these snacks weren't as valuable as the Everstone, they could still convey his gratitude.

"Alakazam, please share these with the little ones later. They seemed to enjoy them."

"Sure."

Then Yang Yan said, "Starmie, Meditite, it's getting late. Let's go."

Meditite stood by the well with Yang Yan, and Starmie floated beside them.

Suddenly, Yang Yan asked, "Alakazam, are you sure we won't be swept away by the water? If we get teleported to different places, we might be in trouble."

"Don't worry. As long as you stay close together, you'll be fine."

Hearing this, Yang Yan chuckled awkwardly. "Starmie, sorry about this, but to avoid any accidents, it might be safer if I hold onto your back."

Starmie: "???"

Yang Yan then turned and clung to Starmie's back. "Meditite, hop on my back. Let's hold on to each other, just in case."

Without hesitation, Meditite jumped onto Yang Yan's back, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders.

Although Meditite wasn't tall, her weight was noticeable—because Starmie, after Meditite leaped on, clearly dipped under the additional load.

To ease the embarrassment, Yang Yan teased, "Starmie, looks like you need to train your psychic powers a bit more."

Starmie internally thought: *I don't even know where to begin...*

"Alakazam, everyone, thank you for your kindness these past two days!"

"Starmie, let's go!"

Starmie floated to the center of the vortex, then sped up suddenly, plunging in with Yang Yan and Meditite.

Maybe this was Starmie's way of getting back at Yang Yan for teasing it just now...

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