There's Something Off About My Pokémon [110]

The sight of Liu Shengnan placing her gun on the ground brought a twisted smile to Ren Li's face. "Now, everyone back up..." Yet before he could finish, he felt a sudden emptiness in his hand. Looking down, a black fox was fiercely biting into his hand.

A flash of red light, and Zorua was swiftly recalled to Wang Yingjie's Dusk Ball. At the end of the corridor, Wang Yingjie cast a mocking glance at Ren Li before abruptly turning and running off.

Ren Li's eyes widened, then turned bloodshot with rage as he roared, "You brat, you tricked me!"

The sudden change in the situation caught Liu Shengnan off guard for a moment, but she quickly shouted, "Duobi, Hidden Power!"

The Rock-type Hidden Power sealed off Ren Li and Krokorok's escape route, while Parasect's Sleep Powder fell upon Ren Li, sending him slowly into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Lu Cheng's Grovyle followed up with a Leaf Blade, knocking out Krokorok with a quick finishing blow.

Looking at the wrecked corridor, the three of them exchanged glances and breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"So, I guess that wraps up the mission."

"But that kid who got away…"

"No need to chase him." Liu Shengnan brushed back her sweat-soaked hair and exhaled, "I'll have the captain conduct a thorough search of the ship shortly. That kid's injured too; he won't get far."

Picking up her handgun from the floor, Liu Shengnan handcuffed the unconscious Team Galactic members. Xie Yuan gave Lu Cheng a firm pat on the shoulder. "Not bad, kid!"

Lu Cheng managed a weak smile, then fell into thoughtful silence. "That Zorua…"

Earlier, neither Ren Li nor anyone else had noticed anything peculiar about that crewmember. It was only when Zorua revealed its true form that Lu Cheng thought to use the scanner.

ZoruaNature: Lonely

Ability: Imposter (Hidden Ability)

Moves: Fury Swipes, Sucker Punch

Judging by the listed moves, this Zorua was clearly still weak. But its Ability—Imposter, usually reserved for Ditto, allowing it to transform into any Pokémon it saw—had given Wang Yingjie the perfect chance to escape.

Lu Cheng clenched his fist in disappointment. This was the second time. Third time's the charm, he thought.

Two minutes later, security personnel arrived on the scene to secure it, while Liu Shengnan handled the formalities.

"The League Association?" The uniformed crew member straightened upon seeing her ID.

Soon enough, the three Team Galactic members were cuffed and placed under watch in a secure cabin, and the remaining officers began a search of the entire cruise ship.

"However… I should let you know," the security captain began awkwardly, taking off his cap, "most of the passengers aboard are, shall we say, well-connected. We'd prefer to avoid…"

"I understand," Liu Shengnan sighed. "For now, search only the public areas. If that yields nothing, we'll do a more thorough check once we dock."

The captain thanked her profusely, nodding in relief. Just then, Lu Cheng felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"Want to unwind for a bit?" Xie Yuan, dark circles under his eyes, gave him a tired smile. "You look like you're shouldering a lot of guilt."

Lu Cheng sighed, "It's my fault we couldn't catch him."

"You did great," Liu Shengnan interrupted as she walked over, her pretty eyes narrowing slightly. "This was your first mission. Besides, thanks to you, those two are out of commission." Her voice then grew serious. "Otherwise, Xie Yuan and I might not have made it out of this."

Xie Yuan scratched his messy head, clearly regretful. Not bringing his Vileplume on the mission had been a mistake. "I'm sure the boss'll dock my pay for this!" he groaned.

"Too right," Liu Shengnan said, giving him a pointed glare.

"Xie Yuan and I are going to continue searching. If you're all set, feel free to go rest." She smiled at Lu Cheng.

Checking his phone, Lu Cheng saw that it was only nine. Far too early to turn in.

"I'll stop by the dining room first," he said, scratching his cheek. "I'm curious about those pastries Xie Yuan mentioned!"

Xie Yuan's eyes lit up, and he was about to say he'd join, but Liu Shengnan firmly dragged him along to continue their mission.

Watching them disappear down the corridor, Lu Cheng let out a sigh. Just then, a cool sensation spread across his abdomen. Looking down, he saw Slime's beady little eyes staring up at him with a pleading expression.

"Muu…"

Beside him, Vulpix rubbed against his leg, letting out a small, indignant yip.

Seeing his Pokémon, Lu Cheng's expression softened into a smile. "Alright, alright, I get it. Let's go get some food!"

---

"One steak, a Mago Berry parfait, and a spicy pizza, please!" Even though the restaurant was buffet-style, guests could also order items from the menu—still complimentary.

The steak was incredibly savory, the flavor making Lu Cheng's eyes light up.

"This is a prime cut from the Tauros' loin," the server explained with a smile. "It takes great skill to prepare the meat to this level."

Lu Cheng's hand paused as he sliced the steak, and he couldn't help but think of his grandfather's Tauros, notorious for its bad temper. But it was only a fleeting thought before he took a hearty bite of the steak. Delicious!

Beside him, three Pokémon sat in child-sized seats, looking slightly out of place yet eager to dine. Vulpix gracefully licked its ice cream, savoring each scoop, while Grovyle scrutinized the pizza as if it were a rival to be conquered. Meanwhile, Ditto—Slime—kept glancing around before its tiny, beady eyes fixated on the napkin tied around its belly, sparkling with newfound excitement.

"Slime, get down! Napkins aren't for eating!"

"And that's a utensil! Not food either!"

"Ahh! Don't steal Vulpix's ice cream! Vulpix, no—"

"Grovyle, use Detect!"

In the end, Grovyle slashed the table in half, flames licking at the corners. Under the bewildered stares of the other diners, Lu Cheng paid for the damages and quickly made his escape.

---

"Any luck finding Wang Yingjie?"

"Not yet," Lu Cheng replied as he bumped into a visibly tired Xie Yuan in the main hall.

Xie Yuan let out a yawn. "We searched all over, but nothing came up. Liu-jie told me to head back and rest."

Liu-jie? That was the first time Lu Cheng had heard anyone call Liu Shengnan that. Little did he know, in the association, she was also known by other nicknames like "the tomboy," "the reluctant bride," and "the 99-times-failed-matchmaker."

"Is the pastry chef still around?"

"The restaurant's still open, but the chef's already gone off duty," Xie Yuan sighed with disappointment. "Man, I was hoping to grab a bit of dessert after all that work."

Lu Cheng reached into his bag and pulled out a package of soufflé, smiling. "Here, I got this for you. They don't usually allow takeout, so I even had to pay for it."

"Oh, awesome!" Xie Yuan's eyes lit up as he accepted the soufflé, giving Lu Cheng a hearty slap on the shoulder. "From now on, if you need anything at the Defense Department, just mention my name!"

"Will that actually help?" Lu Cheng asked, a bit doubtful.

Xie Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "No idea."

"Well, it's been a long day; get some rest." He patted Lu Cheng's shoulder again and grinned. "Liu-jie said she'd report your excellent performance to the higher-ups, so you can look forward to a reward!"

---

Translator's Note

Hi, besties! I'm here to share my latest translation, Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman! Picture this: a young, in-training Bruce Wayne traveling the multiverse with his super mysterious (and a fraud) owl god father!. Their first stop? The magical world of Harry Potter! You just know there's going to be drama, action, and perhaps the birth of the strongest Batman!

Oh, and guess what? I've got even more stories coming your way this week, so stay tuned for all the fun. As always, thank you for being amazing—your support means the world to me. Love ya, and happy reading! (I don't actually love ya)

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!

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