socalfunplaces Chapter 730 The Pure White of Pallet Town
Chapter 730 The Pure White of Pallet Town
Ash raised his head, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit: "Shuwen is right, we can't lose to Team Rocket!"
Li Meining clenched her fist: "Starting tomorrow, I'm going to train twice as hard!"
Li Shuwen smiled and nodded: "Go ahead. Stay enthusiastic, but also stay clear-headed. A true strongman never underestimates any opponent."
With fighting spirit in their eyes, the two turned and left the camp.
The campsite quieted down.
Li Shuwen sat under the shade of a tree, holding a book in his hand, occasionally turning a page.
Three furtive figures emerged from the woods.
It was the Rockets' trio.
Upon seeing Li Shuwen, they immediately stood up straight and tried their best to appear nonchalant.
"Good evening, Master!" Musashi waved. "We're back!"
Kojiro also greeted him, saying, "I trained outside all day, it's a bit late, so I'm only getting back now."
Meow Meow nodded vigorously: "Yes, meow, I trained all day, meow!"
Li Shuwen raised his head and glanced at them.
The three of them were on tenterhooks.
Then Li Shuwen smiled slightly: "It's good that you're back. Get some rest. You have training tomorrow."
The trio breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in unison: "Yes, Master!"
They hurried into their tents, afraid that staying even a second longer would give them away.
Li Shuwen looked in the direction of the tent, a smile appearing on his lips.
"He's quite a good actor," he said softly, then continued reading his book.
The campfire crackled as night deepened.
A figure emerged from the shadows—it was Shinji.
He stood next to Li Shuwen, looking at the Rockets' tent, and said calmly, "I didn't expect these guys to actually be of some use."
Li Shuwen didn't even look up: "Oh?"
"Especially that Musashi." Shinji's gaze fell on the tent. "Her power is actually able to contend with Li Meining head-on, which is truly rare."
Li Shuwen turned a page in his book: "So?"
Shinji was silent for a moment, then said, "It's nothing. I just feel that sometimes, those who grow the fastest are the ones who are pushed to the brink."
Li Shuwen shook his head. "No, you only see their harsh living conditions, but you don't see how they maintain their high morale even in such conditions."
"Shinji, hope is the greatest driving force for becoming stronger."
"Rather than facing a desperate situation, you should give your Pokémon hope. Training should be a balance of intensity and relaxation."
Shinji's gaze shifted. "I understand."
Shinji turned and left, disappearing into the woods.
Li Shuwen raised his head, looked in the direction Shinji had left, glanced at Team Rocket's tent, and smiled gently.
"That's interesting."
He closed the book, stood up, and walked back to his tent.
"Take a nap first, then go to training."
The gentle sunlight shone on Pallet Town as Li Shuwen, accompanied by two Pokémon, slowly walked into the quiet town.
Azure Flame Blade Demon walked to Li Shuwen's right, its flames displaying an eerie azure blue hue, lacking the warmth of ordinary flames and instead exuding a chilling aura.
As far as the eye could see, it seemed as if even the air itself had frozen.
The Greatsword Demon of the Emerald Sword walked to Li Shuwen's left, his steps steady and powerful, his eyes deep and calm, with a kind of coldness that had settled over the years.
Two Pokémon are like two living knives.
Li Shuwen's training today was to infect their hearts, which were as cold as blades, with the pure white hearts of the villagers of Zhenxin Town.
The Greatsword Demon has been here for a long time and has become somewhat gentler with the water.
But Azure Flame Blade Demon stayed in that awful place for far too long.
The flames had completely lost their heat.
Li Shuwen walked very slowly so that the two Pokémon could see every detail clearly.
An elderly woman selling vegetables was tidying up her stall when she saw Li Shuwen. Her face immediately lit up with a smile: "Oh, Shuwen, what brings you to town today?"
Li Shuwen smiled and nodded: "I brought them out for a walk."
The old woman's gaze fell on the Samurai and Blastoise, she paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "What handsome Pokémon! I've never seen them before, but they look incredibly powerful!"
She picked up two carrots from the stall and handed them over, saying, "Come on, try these that I grew myself, they're so sweet."
Azure Flame Blade Demon stared at the carrot offered to him, but didn't move for a moment.
He has been through too much.
In his time, the kindness of strangers was often a trap; a smile could hide a knife.
He had witnessed too much betrayal, too much killing, and too much malice disguised as kindness.
There was no scheming, no probing, and no hidden intentions in the eyes of the old woman before me.
Only the purest kindness, like morning dew, is clean and free of any impurities.
The Greatsword Demon took the carrot and took a bite.
The sweet juice bursts in your mouth; it's the taste of sunshine and soil, the taste of rain and time, the taste of an old woman watering, weeding, and harvesting every morning.
Greatsword Demon nodded and invited Azure Flame Blade Demon to try it as well.
Azure Flame Blade Demon also took a bite, feeling the sweet taste spreading in his mouth and the pure kindness flowing into his body down his throat.
It was as if a warm current was gently washing away the coldness and hardness that had accumulated over the years.
Their evil and ghost attributes allow them to sense more.
At the glutinous rice ball stall, the vendor's eyes lit up when he saw Li Shuwen: "Brother Shuwen!"
"I used the plaster you gave me last time for a week, and my chronic leg pain actually stopped! I've had this for years, I never expected it!"
"I don't know how to thank you enough, you absolutely must try my family's glutinous rice balls!"
Li Shuwen was pulled to sit down in front of the stall.
Greatsword Demon and Azure Flame Blade Demon also came over, standing on either side of Li Shuwen behind him.
The stall owner deftly served a plate of steaming hot glutinous rice balls: "Freshly cooked! Eat them while they're hot!"
Li Shuwen picked one up and handed it to the Greatsword Demon.
The Greatsword Demon lowered his head, took the sword, and slowly chewed it.
The glutinous rice is soft and sticky, and the filling is sweet and fragrant. It is a very common street snack.
But he could sense that there was something different about this food.
That was gratitude.
This stall owner, having been cured of his illness, genuinely wanted to give back.
Azure Flame Blade Demon also took one, feeling the warmth travel from the dumpling to his mouth and then to his heart.
Thinking back to my own time, food was merely fuel to sustain life; no one ever poured such emotion into food.
But here, feelings are as ubiquitous as sunshine and air.
As the stall owner busied himself with his work, he kept rambling on, "Master Li, let me tell you, these glutinous rice balls are a recipe passed down from my mother. The glutinous rice has to be soaked for the right amount of time, the grinding process has to be done clockwise, and the steaming temperature has to be just right..."
He spoke very seriously, as if he were imparting some unparalleled secret technique.
But it only talks about the most ordinary glutinous rice balls, the most ordinary home-style cooking techniques.
Li Shuwen listened with a smile, nodding occasionally.
Greatsword Demon and Azure Flame Blade Demon listened as well, listening to this ordinary man's pride in his craft, his love for life, and his heartfelt gratitude to those who had helped him.
After finishing the meatballs, Li Shuwen got up to leave. The stall owner saw him to the outside, waving enthusiastically, "Brother Shuwen, come again anytime! Meatballs galore!"
Li Shuwen patted Azure Flame Blade Demon on the shoulder. "How's it going, Azure Flame Blade Demon? This era is pretty great, isn't it?"
Azure Flame Blade Demon nodded.
Li Shuwen smiled and said, "I hope your blade can reignite the flame of hope."
Flames flickered in the eyes of the Azure Flame Blade Demon, as if deep in thought.