Wanderer of the Pokémon World

Chapter 301: The Power of Viridian

Afraid that Sol's unusual acts would affect others or draw unwanted attention, Chen and Mei had told their daughter not to speak when there were outsiders around.

If anything happened, or if she needed to communicate, she could use her innate telepathy to contact the two of them. She could only speak freely after returning to a safe, private place.

That is to say, Sol had grown up under the careful, loving care and deliberate concealment of her parents, Chen and Mei.

"What was that green light just now?" Before Xiu could ask a question, Rinko took the lead, her curiosity piqued.

Mei showed a hint of hesitation on her face. After thinking for a moment, she frowned and said, "We don't know exactly what it is or how it works.

Originally, Sol was only passively influenced by the outside world, seemingly empathic. But when she was about five years old, she seemed to gain some conscious control over some of her abilities."

She continued, "The first time I saw this green light was when I cut my hand while cooking. Sol came over and reached out to the wound.

Under the influence of that green light, the cut healed completely in just a few seconds. But Sol looked incredibly tired afterward. I was afraid that using this ability might harm her, so I simply forbade her to use it."

Mei trailed off, looking at her daughter with a mixture of love and concern. "I don't know why she…" She didn't understand what Sol was doing, using it now. She had clearly warned her not to use these powers…

But seeing her daughter's earnest, if somewhat drained, expression, Mei's resentment could only turn into a low sigh. She reached out, took her daughter into her arms, and hugged her tightly.

Then she looked at Xiu and Rinko, and pleaded in a slightly lowered, earnest voice, "We just want Sol to have a normal life. I hope you can keep this a secret for us and don't tell anyone about Sol's abilities."

Xiu looked solemn. After exchanging a quick glance with Rinko, he said to them, "Don't worry about this. Rinko and I will not tell anyone about this."

"Thank you," Mei said, feeling a little relieved after hearing his assurance.

But Xiu's next sentence immediately recaptured her full attention. "You may not know much about these kinds of things, but I do know a little about Sol's situation."

"What is it?" Mei couldn't help but exclaim.

And Chen, who had maintained a serious expression throughout, was also stunned when he heard this.

Although they had accepted Sol and her unique nature, their curiosity about her abilities had never disappeared, and in fact, had even become more pronounced after years of suppression and silence.

"Let me tell you," Xiu began, fixing his eyes on Sol, "there are many special, little-understood powers in this world, such as psychic abilities, Aura…"

He paused, then said slowly, "And there is also the Power of Viridian."

Without waiting for them to fully comprehend, Xiu continued his explanation. "Usually, civilians have no chance to come into contact with these concepts.

Even most Trainers are not clear about them. Only a very small number of people in the world know about these specific energies, and I have only heard about them through certain channels."

He elaborated, "You can regard these strange powers as a favor from nature, a blessing. The Power of Viridian is like a gift from the Viridian Forest itself, or perhaps the very life force of the land.

For humans who manifest it, this power is mostly positive and beneficial. So, you don't have to panic; it's a good thing."

"For example," Xiu continued, looking at Sol, "the Power of Viridian has endowed Sol with various abilities, such as her natural telepathy, the ability to promote plant growth, and, as you've seen, to heal injuries."

After hearing this explanation, Chen and Mei finally seemed to put their deepest anxieties at ease.

Looking at the relieved couple, Xiu couldn't help but add a word of caution. "Don't be too happy just yet. To be honest, this kind of extraordinary power, while rare and beneficial, will inevitably attract the attention of certain people.

The curiosity of these individuals about such power could potentially endanger Sol's safety."

"Then what should we do?" Mei asked immediately, her voice laced with renewed anxiety. For a mother, the safety of her child was paramount.

"I'm just reminding you of potential future risks. It doesn't mean that something bad will happen right away," Xiu clarified.

"I have to say, your efforts were very successful. At least, it fooled most people, including me initially." He continued, "There are two main things you need to do now.

The first is to continue to keep it a secret, which Miss Rinko and I will, of course, cooperate with.

The second is to help Sol grow up as normally as possible, but also to help her come into contact with Pokémon and eventually gain the ability to protect herself."

Xiu took out one of his own Poké Balls and held it up. "It is difficult for humans alone to resist the power of ill-intentioned individuals or dangerous Pokémon.

Similarly, after establishing a bond with Pokémon of her own, Sol's safety will be much better guaranteed."

When he mentioned Pokémon, Chen and Mei seemed a little worried, even scared.

Xiu, understanding their apprehension as civilians, patiently explained, "You don't need to be too afraid of Pokémon. Generally, after getting along with humans for a long time, many Pokémon are no different from your relatives and friends.

Even those Pokémon with initially difficult personalities can become very reliable companions once they form a bond and recognize their Trainer."

The couple didn't fully understand the nuances of Pokémon training, and just nodded vaguely— but they understood the core issue concerning Sol, so Chen asked,

"It's just that neither of us knows much about Pokémon, and if Sol eventually goes to school, how will she interact with other children, other Trainers?"

"But…" Mei added with some concern, "Sol has rarely, if ever, truly interacted with anyone outside our family."

"This is indeed a problem," Xiu conceded. "For now, you can buy her some books and materials about Pokémon for her to study on her own. If you have any specific questions, you can ask me."

Speaking of this, Rinko, who had been listening quietly, immediately interjected. "Yes! Xiu is an expert in this area. I am also learning a lot about Pokémon from him now."

Chen and the others looked at Xiu as if they had found a life-saving straw. "Can you please help, Xiu?" Chen asked. "I heard from some friends that it is very expensive to hire a Trainer as a private teacher. I will try my best to compensate you…"

"Hey!" Xiu raised his hand to interrupt Chen. "This is just a small matter. There's no need to talk about money."

After staying there and chatting with them for a while longer, Xiu simply left a few basic Pokémon encyclopedias and care guides for Sol and asked Rinko to help her study when she had time.

Then, he walked back towards the research institute.

At this time, the setting sun was as red as blood. There were no people on the streets of Pallet Town. Xiu also noticed that many of the refugee cars that had crowded the town had disappeared.

He didn't know whether they had received the news that Viridian City had been defended and had rushed back, or if they had gone to other, more stable places to seek refuge.

After all, the shortage of supplies here in Pallet had reached an unsustainable point, and many people who had stayed found it difficult to buy food even if they had money.

Anyway, Xiu didn't particularly care about their movements. As long as Pallet Town itself was safe, the rest of the issues could be dealt with after Professor Oak returned.

Sure enough, as soon as he reached the institute, he was met by Daisy, whose face wore a hint of familiar resentment. "What's going on now?" she asked, though it sounded more like an accusation.

"Where have you been again?"

"I went to the botanical garden," Xiu stated directly.

"There are still some leftovers," Daisy said, her tone still a little resentful, but softening. She turned and walked towards the house. "Come in if you haven't eaten yet."

Xiu hadn't eaten much at Rinko's house, so this was a good opportunity to have another proper meal.

Although Daisy called them "leftovers," Xiu could clearly tell that the food had been specially kept for him. They were all very simple, home-cooked dishes. He didn't hesitate and quickly cleaned them up.

After finishing his meal, Xiu finally felt himself relax a little. He didn't rush to deal with other pressing matters but went to the living room and saw Xiaochun quietly watching TV.

Xiu lay down lazily on the sofa in a weird, sprawling posture, as if he was about to slide off. The expression on his face was particularly indifferent, almost vacant from exhaustion.

"You can go back to your room and sleep tonight, Xiaochun," he said quietly. "Professor Oak will probably be back tomorrow, and we'll all be free then."

After that, there was no more sound from him. Xiaochun turned her head to look at him, then picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.

She carefully helped him adjust his position on the sofa so he wouldn't fall, then sat on the floor beside him, watching over him quietly.