The plane swooped down from the clouds. Outside the window, the city and fields rapidly enlarged from a distance.
The moment the landing gear touched down, the fuselage shook violently, and the tires screeched against the runway. The tail spoilers rose, and the plane glided at high speed on the runway, gradually slowing down.
Finally, it came to a steady stop, and the flight attendant began broadcasting, reminding everyone that they had arrived in Da City.
Chen Kai felt a bit neurotic; he had overthought things the last time he flew too, but nothing ever happened.
After getting off the plane, it was already evening. Chen Kai planned to find a random hotel in Da City for the night and return to Zining Mountain tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Qu County didn't have many Research Institutes, so Zhao Jie needed to register at a Research Institute in Da City first before she could borrow some equipment.
She needed to go to Qu County a few days later.
Chen Kai didn't know where she intended to follow him, but he also found it difficult to refuse, especially since she was his uncle's colleague and had given him a keystone.
Even if she planned to stay on the mountain, he would let her.
Just then, Dong Gang, looking rather cheeky, leaned over and asked, "Miss Zhao, would you honor us with your presence at dinner tonight? Young man, you should come too."
Zhao Mingzhu turned her face away. "No, I already have other work! The Institute will arrange someone else to handle your fossil inquiries, please don't bother me!"
Dong Gang, however, persisted, "Oh! Miss Zhao, that's not how you put it. You've helped me so much over the past year, it's only right that I treat you to a meal..."
Dong Gang praised Zhao Mingzhu for several minutes before she reluctantly accepted.
There were only four people at this dinner: Dong Gang, Zhao Mingzhu, Liang Zhi, and Chen Kai.
Since Dong Gang was treating, it naturally included Chen Kai's and Zhao Mingzhu's Pokémon.
Zhao Mingzhu's Pokémon was a Sandshrew, a Pokémon quite suitable for her.
With her permission, Chen Kai checked it with his Pokedex.
Name: Sandshrew
Type: Ground
Level: Beginner Stage
Ability: Sand Rush
Chen Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh! It's a hidden ability. It's a pity Zhao Mingzhu is a researcher and won't train Pokémon much. Sandshrew probably only helps her dig for rocks normally."
Dong Gang's Pokémon were either too heavy or too large for the restaurant, but he was used to it.
Liang Zhi's Pokémon, however, could enter the restaurant to eat. Chen Kai roughly estimated that Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Machamp were all Champion Class (level 80+). As for his other Pokémon, Chen Kai didn't see them.
But even the Four Heavenly Kings' Pokémon were stunned for a long time by Miraidon's eating habits.
Aside from Snorlax, they probably hadn't seen anything that could eat more than Miraidon.
“Dong Gang ate his food while chatting, “Oh! Xiao Kai, your Pokémon are well-trained! These three Pokémon are all very energetic!”
Liang Zhi also took a few more glances at Miraidon. "It's good that it can eat! The more a Pokémon can eat, the stronger it is!"
Chen Kai humbly replied, "It's alright, it's alright."
Zhao Mingzhu, however, just focused on eating her meal. Dong Gang tried to probe what she was doing in Da City, but Zhao Mingzhu didn't reveal a single word.
Dong Gang could only chat idly with Chen Kai.
“So you're Old Ye's student?!” As they chatted, Dong Gang finally realized that Chen Kai was his good friend's student, and more importantly, his student's uncle was the new head of the Fossil Department.
"Damn it, Old Ye didn't even mention it to me a few days ago. Next time I go back to the capital, I'm going to have a serious talk with him." Dong Gang complained, accidentally letting slip:
"But I can't entirely blame him. This trip to the capital was either for meetings or patrols, so there was no time to get together. And now he has to go out and catch people again."
"Catch people?!?" Chen Kai was startled, almost spitting out the juice in his mouth.
Dong Gang realized he had said too much after speaking. He quickly glanced at Liang Zhi, and seeing no reaction from him, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Dong Gang thought to himself: So, even if I said it, there's no problem?
He then continued, "Oh, it's just that thing that happened in the capital a while ago. Now it needs to be investigated nationwide, so the two of us came to Sichuan Province to check it out."
"Oh! So that's what it is." Chen Kai patted his chest, relieved. He had just thought it was a trap aimed at him.
At this moment, Liang Zhi had no idea that his teammate had revealed a secret. He just thought, that Cyclizar can really eat! Should he also increase the food for his own Pokémon?
After the meal, Chen Kai parted ways with a dejected Dong Gang. Even in the end, Zhao Mingzhu still didn't reveal a single word about the purpose of her trip to Dong Gang.
But the next morning, Chen Kai boarded the bus back to Qu County alone. The safety officer was coincidentally the middle-aged bald uncle, with his sharp-eyed Poliwrath.
At the same time, he strangely encountered this 'Liang-Dong' duo.
Chen Kai had only one thought: Is this a coincidence? Are they really not here to catch me?
Dong Gang greeted him with a smile, "Oh! Xiao Kai, what a coincidence?"
"Director Dong, what a coincidence." Chen Kai chuckled awkwardly in response.
"Indeed, you're going to Qu County too."
"Yes, my parents have a small ranch in Qu County." Chen Kai nodded and said.
At the same time, he noticed that the bald uncle's Poliwrath was staring at Liang Zhi with sharp eyes. Chen Kai looked back and saw that Liang Zhi was also staring at Poliwrath with equally sharp eyes.
This made the middle-aged bald uncle beside them quite nervous.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
Poliwrath then said:
"Poli!" (That person has good muscles!)
Liang Zhi said:
"Hmm! Your Poliwrath originally had great muscles, but it seems to have lacked some exercise recently."
The uncle replied, bewildered, "Uh... okay. Thank you for the reminder."
And Dong Gang was still trying to probe, "Xiao Kai, do you know what your Zhao Jie is doing in Da City?"
Chen Kai replied helplessly, "Uh, I really don't know, Director Dong, you should ask Zhao Jie."
Upon hearing this, Dong Gang sat in his seat, looking dejected.
Chen Kai could tell that this Elite Liang might be a bit dense? Or perhaps he exercised so much that his brain was all muscle?
And Director Dong's mind was only on fossil-related matters.
Regardless, Chen Kai was sure they couldn't keep a secret, so he didn't think they were here to catch him.
Just as Chen Kai thought nothing would happen on this trip, the bus suddenly stopped halfway.
"What happened?"
"What's wrong?"
...
This caused a panic among the people on the bus.
The driver in front yelled, "Safety officer! Safety officer! Something's happened."
Miraidon, in its Poké Ball, sensed it: "There's a lot of Bug-type energy ahead."
"Could it be a lot of Bug-type Pokémon?" Chen Kai also poked his head out to look.
He saw that the road outside the glass was occupied by dozens of Pinsir.
"Strange, Pinsir usually don't gather in such large groups, and they certainly don't run onto the road." Dong Gang said, somewhat puzzled, from the side.
At this moment, the safety officer said to the driver, "Can we back up?"
The driver looked in the rearview mirror: "No, many Heracross have appeared behind us too!"
And further back, many cars on the road were blocked by Heracross.
"Ah?" The safety officer was stunned; he had never encountered a situation like this!
Heracross are relatively unlikely to attack people, so the vehicles behind are temporarily safe, but Pinsir are Pokémon that are very prone to attacking people.
The driver urged, "No, safety officer, quickly think of a solution! I see a few Pinsir trying to ram the bus!"
The safety officer gritted his teeth, "Let's go, Poliwrath!"
