The next day, news regarding Mega Evolution was leaked to the public. Jiang Yuan personally made the announcement, immediately sparking a frenzy as people scrambled to find Mega Stones.
Some people had previously obtained Mega Stones but had no idea what they were used for, treating them as nothing more than pretty rocks to look at. Now that their true purpose was revealed, the prices of these stones, which had originally been mere ornaments, skyrocketed.
Currently, the price of a single Mega Stone had reached at least five million League Coins. Among them, Mega Stones for Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon were even more expensive, fetching prices as high as ten million.
And that wasn't even the limit; prices were expected to rise further in the future. The primary issue was the sheer scarcity of Mega Stones. With so many Trainers and so few stones, it was estimated that the price of a Mega Stone would eventually not be lower than that of a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon Egg.
A nationwide search for Mega Stones had essentially been triggered, with everyone joining the hunt.
"Good thing we searched for them in advance. Otherwise, it would be hard to find even a single hair right now," Jiang Chen remarked with a sense of relief as he saw the news of Trainers flocking to Secret Realms and ruins in search of the stones.
Fortunately, he had told Jiang Yuan and Xie Yulan early. They certainly didn't lack Mega Stones now.
"I didn't expect the Mega Stone you gave me to be so expensive."
Ling Wanqiu held her Mega Stone, unsure if she should return it to Jiang Chen. It felt too precious to keep, but returning it might make it seem like she didn't view him as a true friend, creating distance between them.
"This is a gift I gave you two. Don't you dare try to give it back," Jiang Chen said, seemingly reading her mind.
"Give it back? In your dreams! I'm definitely not giving it back," Xiao Luoxue hummed with a light snort.
In truth, she had also considered returning it, but after hearing Jiang Chen's words and considering his personality, she abandoned the idea. Jiang Chen had been perfectly aware of the stone's value when he gave it to them. If they refused to accept it now and tried to return it, he might actually get angry.
"I've been training my Pokémon at home for so many days now, and I'm planning to head out into the wilderness for a bit. What about you two?"
"We're coming with you, obviously," Ling Wanqiu and Xiao Luoxue replied without hesitation.
"Are we going to the wilderness to catch more Pokémon?" Xiao Luoxue asked.
"Not entirely. It's mainly to increase my Pokémon's combat experience. There are more Pokémon in the wild, and I want to find some proper opponents for them."
While there were many Pokémon on the mountain behind his house, they had sparred with Jiang Chen's team so often that they were no longer willing to face them.
"If you two were willing to spar with me, we wouldn't need to go to the wilderness," Jiang Chen said, looking at the two girls with a smile.
"Let's just go to the wilderness," Ling Wanqiu said quickly. She had no desire to battle Jiang Chen right now. Xiao Luoxue felt the same; losing to Jiang Chen usually left them feeling so defeated they almost became antisocial.
"We'll go pack our things now."
Heading into the wild required preparation, especially since it sounded like Jiang Chen intended to go camping.
"No need to pack. I already had Ning Ya prepare everything for us."
Jiang Chen's plan to head out wasn't a last-minute whim. He had prepared for this, so he had naturally asked Ning Ya to get their supplies ready.
"Oh, so everything is ready. Are we leaving now? Where are we going?" Xiao Luoxue had a lot of questions.
"To the Yunheng Mountains."
Jiang Chen certainly had a goal in mind. The Yunheng Mountains were the closest mountain range to Yunhai City. While not the largest in the country, they were quite significant. Rumor had it that there were traces of Larvitar there, and some had even spotted adult Tyranitar.
"I've heard the Pokémon there are generally very strong."
Ling Wanqiu also knew some information about the Yunheng Mountains. It wasn't a suitable place for novice Trainers; it was easy to run into trouble there. Because the wild Pokémon were generally powerful, even Trainers who had been traveling for years didn't dare enter the range lightly.
Jiang Chen and the girls were technically novice Trainers, but they wouldn't be in any real danger. Nothing was safer than being with Jiang Chen. After all, he had two Mythical Pokémon with him even a Champion wouldn't be able to defeat those two.
"It's because I know the Pokémon there are strong that I chose it. After all, the point of going into the wild is to train and improve their combat experience," Jiang Chen said. He wanted to cultivate his Pokémon's ability to fight autonomously. Although their independent combat skills weren't weak, they still relied on him a bit too much.
"Mew, let's go."
With Mew around, they didn't need any form of transportation. Nothing was faster than Mew's Teleport.
After Jiang Chen gave Mew the coordinates for the Yunheng Mountains, the little fellow used Teleport and instantly brought the group to the mountain range.
"Mew, you really picked a great spot for us."
The group appeared at the very edge of a sheer, dizzying cliff. Jiang Chen looked down at what seemed like an endless abyss. A freezing wind whipped past, causing even someone with Jiang Chen's physical constitution to shiver.
If Jiang Chen felt cold, it was even worse for Ling Wanqiu and Xiao Luoxue.
"I... I'm afraid of heights."
Xiao Luoxue took one look down and felt her legs tremble. She had never realized she had acrophobia before, but she certainly felt it now.
Mew covered its mouth and giggled.
Bam!
Jiang Chen gave Mew a light, annoyed rap on the head. "Hurry up and take us down."
After getting hit, Mew looked aggrieved but quickly moved the group from the cliffside to the foot of the mountain.
"Are you afraid of heights too?" Jiang Chen asked Ling Wanqiu. Her face looked a bit pale.
"No, I'm just freezing," Ling Wanqiu replied, shooting a resentful look at Mew.
"Quick, hold me! I feel like I can't stand straight!" Xiao Luoxue suddenly cried out to Jiang Chen.
As she spoke, she leaned toward Jiang Chen and fell directly into his arms.
"Are you faking it on purpose?"
After a moment, seeing that Xiao Luoxue was still clinging to Jiang Chen's chest and showing no sign of getting up, Ling Wanqiu's brow furrowed. "I remember you used to ride on a Salamence's back in the air. Are you really afraid of heights?"
Xiao Luoxue's expression shifted slightly as she buried her face in Jiang Chen's chest, but she maintained her "weak-legged" act. "I'm not faking. I really am scared."
In truth, her words were half-true. She wasn't that afraid of heights, but the mountain peak had been so high that looking down had made her feel a bit dizzy. She had recovered by the time they reached the bottom, but that didn't stop her from taking the opportunity to cling to Jiang Chen even if, technically, Jiang Chen was the one getting the better end of the deal.
"Really?"
If Ling Wanqiu had been suspicious before, she was now completely unconvinced. She didn't believe for a second that Xiao Luoxue was truly terrified. She was clearly just lingering in Jiang Chen's arms.
"Then let me help you sit down."
Ling Wanqiu didn't bother exposing her further; if Xiao Luoxue refused to admit it, words were useless. The priority was getting her out of Jiang Chen's embrace.
Xiao Luoxue shot a glare at Ling Wanqiu. This woman is such a busybody. I was perfectly fine in Jiang Chen's arms; why do you need to help me sit down?
Of course, Xiao Luoxue knew exactly what Ling Wanqiu was thinking. She didn't refuse, as that would be too obvious, and she knew Ling Wanqiu wouldn't allow her to keep clinging anyway.
"There's no need to help me sit. I feel much better now." Xiao Luoxue waved her hand, signaling for Ling Wanqiu to let go.
Seeing Xiao Luoxue walk with a steady gait, Ling Wanqiu knew she had been right the girl had been faking.
Hmph, this woman is so crafty. Ling Wanqiu decided she needed to be more vigilant around Xiao Luoxue in the future, or the girl might actually succeed in "stealing the home."
"Tyran!"
A loud roar echoed from nearby. Jiang Chen immediately turned his gaze toward the source of the sound.
"That's... a Tyranitar? Is our luck really that good?"
The girls also looked toward the roaring Tyranitar. However, this Tyranitar didn't seem friendly at all; its gaze was quite intimidating.
"I'm afraid it isn't just luck."
Jiang Chen glanced over at Mew, who was putting on an "it has nothing to do with me" act. He was certain that appearing directly in front of a Tyranitar had everything to do with this little fellow. It must have sent them here on purpose.
"You did this, didn't you?" Jiang Chen asked.
Hearing the question, Mew immediately shook its head in denial.
"If you don't tell the truth, you can forget about eating sweets from now on. No desserts at all."
To Mew, this was the most terrifying threat imaginable. Its face filled with horror, and it looked piteously at Jiang Chen.
"Mew..."
Under the weight of that terrible threat, it finally nodded in admission.
📢 MASSIVE UPDATE FOR BINGE-READERS! 📢
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