New Side Quests
The simplified map only showed the major routes. In reality, there were far more towns scattered between Celestic Town and Snowpoint City.
"Next stop: Celestic Station. Passengers arriving at their destination, please prepare to disembark."
Li Wei stepped off the train, returning to Celestic Town after traveling from Sunyshore City, far to the south.
Without a Flying-type Pokémon for transportation, travel was still inconvenient.
Technically, he could ride his Arcanine, and his Metang could levitate while carrying him. However, Metang's stability was far inferior to its final evolution, Metagross.
Some Breeding Houses occasionally used Flying-type Pokémon for deliveries between towns.
But once Metang evolved, that inconvenience would be solved.
Celestic Town
It was November.
Snow fell heavily from the sky, blanketing the ancient town in white. Each breath Li Wei exhaled turned into a cloud of mist.
Celestic Town was small, but it carried tremendous cultural significance within the Sinnoh region.
Not only was it home to ancient ruins and a historic shrine preserving Sinnoh's mythology, but it was also famously known as the hometown of the Cynthia, the region's reigning Champion.
Li Wei had been away for more than half a year.
Yet every street corner still felt deeply familiar.
"Fresh Moomoo Milk!"
"Sweet honey harvested by Combee!"
Shopkeepers and vendors shouted enthusiastically along the street.
The scene resembled a bustling market, except nearly every stall owner had a Pokémon partner helping with their work.
"Li Wei! You're back! Come try some!"
Friendly uncles and aunts waved enthusiastically as he passed.
"I just got back! I'll come by another day!"
Li Wei waved while holding a snack skewer in one hand. Beside him, Lucario mimicked the gesture.
"Li Wei! Lucario! You're back!"
A figure suddenly jumped from behind and patted both of their shoulders.
Of course, they had already sensed her approaching through Lucario's Aura perception.
They simply pretended not to notice.
"Sister Xiao Meng. Long time no see."
"Luca!"
(Long time no see!)
The woman in front of them looked around twenty-five years old, wearing a thick cotton coat and a fluffy winter hat.
Her name was Makino Meng, though Li Wei had always called her Sister Xiao Meng.
Passersby paid no attention as they greeted one another warmly.
"Why did you come back all of a sudden?" she asked.
"My journey ended for now," Li Wei replied. "So I came home to see Grandpa."
"Come, come!"
Without waiting for an answer, Xiao Meng grabbed Li Wei and Lucario by the arms and pulled them toward her stall.
A Farfetch'd with glossy feathers sat proudly on a wooden chair behind the stand, clutching its leek like a treasured weapon.
"Gaa!"
Seeing Li Wei, Farfetch'd lifted its leek in greeting.
"Long time no see, Farfetch'd."
"Perfect timing," Xiao Meng said excitedly. "I just baked a batch of Blissful Muffins. Take some home for Grandpa!"
Without hesitation, she began packing them into a small box.
Blissful Muffins were pastries made from crushed berries and rich milk batter.
They resembled sweet cakes rather than biscuits.
Although they looked somewhat similar to Poffin, the two foods were completely different.
Poffins were crisp, biscuit-like treats designed to improve a Pokémon's condition.
Muffins, on the other hand, were soft desserts.
Li Wei and Lucario simultaneously raised their hands and crossed them into an "X".
"We can't accept them for free."
"Luca."
(That's right.)
Xiao Meng's eyes widened.
"What money? Your Grandpa has taken care of me for years!"
"If you won't accept payment, we'll leave," Li Wei replied calmly, pointing toward the direction of his home.
Xiao Meng puffed her cheeks in frustration before deflating like a punctured balloon.
There were only about ten muffins.
After Li Wei and Lucario each tasted one, Li Wei smiled.
"Sister Xiao Meng, I'll buy the rest. I'll bring them home for Grandpa and the Pokémon."
As she packed them carefully, Li Wei asked curiously,
"Why did you suddenly start making muffins?"
Xiao Meng used to sell fresh ingredients instead.
Grandpa bought from her frequently.
Her family background was difficult. Her parents had died when she was young, and her grandparents passed away shortly after.
Yet she always remained optimistic.
Li Wei's grandfather had often helped her through difficult times.
Xiao Meng proudly placed her hands on her hips.
"Because nobody else sells them here! I traveled to another town just to learn the recipe."
Li Wei gave her a thumbs-up.
"Smart business idea."
"Of course!" she said proudly.
Her baking skills were genuinely impressive.
The muffins were delicious even better than Li Wei's own attempts.
"Alright, I'll head home now," Li Wei said.
"Let's meet again when you're free!"
"Okay! Hurry back before the snow gets worse!"
After saying goodbye, Li Wei walked away.
Then suddenly
A clear notification echoed inside his mind.
◆◇◆ SYSTEM NOTICE ◆◇◆
Side Quest Activated
Xiao Meng's Trouble (Optional)
Recently, berries from Xiao Meng's berry field have been stolen by unknown Pokémon.
Assist her in identifying the culprit and protecting the berry harvest.
Quest Reward:
Random Pokémon Item Gacha Ticket ×1
◆◇◆ END OF SYSTEM MESSAGE ◆◇◆
Li Wei glanced back.
Xiao Meng was still busy arranging her stall.
She truly hated troubling others.
He shook his head with a small sigh.
"Lucario, tomorrow we'll help Sister Xiao Meng."
"Luca!"
Even without the reward, helping her was the right thing to do.
Li Wei's home was a modest house with a small courtyard.
A waist-high bamboo fence surrounded it.
From afar, he spotted a plump Gengar sitting at the gate happily slurping a bowl of noodles.
As he approached, the rich aroma became clear.
Beef noodles.
Large chunks of braised beef floated in the broth.
That had to be Grandpa's cooking.
Gengar noticed Li Wei staring at the bowl.
"Koujie!"
The ghost Pokémon instantly clutched the bowl protectively and shuffled backward several steps.
"Gengga! Gengga!"
Lucario calmly translated through Aura.
(There's more in the kitchen. Go get your own.)
"Gengar, where's Grandpa?"
Gengar pointed toward the backyard with its stubby arm.
"Gengga!"
"I see."
Li Wei released two Poké Balls.
"Come out, Arcanine. Metang."
The red-and-gold Arcanine landed gracefully and shook its thick mane.
"Awoo~~"
After sniffing the air, Arcanine dashed toward the kitchen like a blazing streak.
Its speed was astonishing.
"Did it just use something like Extreme Speed to chase noodles?!"
Metang hovered nearby.
"Bika."
Its eyes scanned the surroundings cautiously.
Because Metang had grown up in the wild and was a rare Shiny Pokémon its survival instincts were strong.
"Relax," Li Wei said gently. "This is home."
"Bika."
Meanwhile, Gengar floated over with a grin.
From somewhere inside its mouth dimension, it pulled out a bottle of ice-cold soda and offered it to Metang.
"Koujie, koujie?"
Lucario couldn't maintain a serious expression anymore.
Gengar was basically saying:
"Hey friend, want a drink?"
Metang stared in disbelief.
Black lines practically appeared across its metallic forehead.
As Li Wei walked toward the backyard, he heard his grandfather's voice.
"Arcanine? Is that you?"
"Did Li Wei come back?"
"Awoo~"
"Good, good. I'll bring the food out."
A tall, energetic old man with dark hair and a thick cotton coat stepped out from the kitchen.
His posture was straight despite his age.
"Grandpa."
The old man looked surprised.
"Why did you come back so suddenly?"
Li Wei answered with a serious expression.
"I want to stay for a while."
"I want to learn Pokémon breeding and cooking from you."
The moment he finished speaking
Another voice echoed in his mind.
Cold.
Mechanical.
And unmistakably artificial.
◆◇◆ SYSTEM NOTICE ◆◇◆
New Side Quest Detected
Further details unlocking…
◆◇◆ SYSTEM INITIALIZING… ◆◇◆
At the gate, Gengar tilted its head.
Something strange was about to begin. 👻
If you want, I can also help you next with:
Chapter 5 (System Quest Arc Begins)
Designing Li Wei's full Pokémon team progression
Creating the System interface style used throughout the novel
Designing the berry thief mystery arc (very popular web-novel trope).