Chapter 129: The Journey Home (Please Add It to Your Collection!!!!)

Ultimately, the field trip concluded without any major mishaps. For Chen Ou, this felt like a liberation; looking after students was an exhausting endeavor.

Upon emerging from the forest, they found a bus stop nearby where Erika was waiting with the group. Chen Ou finally slipped back into his usual lazy, lethargic state—at his core, he was a sluggish fellow. The Chimchar, who had been pulled aside by Youyue away from Bianca, was acting rather shifty, though no one knew what it was plotting.

The Chimchar climbed back onto Chen Ou’s head. Chen Ou adjusted the little creature to keep it from falling, then sat on a bench by the station, squinting his eyes in a feigned nap. The Chimchar mimicked him perfectly. It was unclear who the little one had learned that habit from, but it was still small enough to perch on his head; once it evolved, that would no longer be an option. A rare, unspoken rapport formed between the man and the monkey, both looking equally indolent.

Elsewhere, Bianca was chatting with Eri and Youyue. There was plenty for the three girls to discuss. Although Bianca was a few years younger, she was a quintessential traveling trainer, and in terms of genuine experience, Youyue and Eri couldn't necessarily claim an advantage over her. Youyue, being a naturally curious soul, was easy to get along with and pleasant in conversation. Despite Bianca’s earlier annoyance at Youyue for hugging Chen Ou, she didn't shun her, and the two were soon deep in conversation. The other students were gathered in small groups, sharing their observations from the field trip. Erika, meanwhile, was surrounded by a crowd of inquisitive students, answering their questions—some simple, some quite challenging—with a weary smile. Fortunately, having led many classes before, she could field most of their inquiries.

Of course, there were exceptions to the group dynamic.

Eri was one such exception. Though she was participating in the conversation with Youyue and Bianca, her gaze kept drifting toward Chen Ou. Deep down, she felt a flicker of anxiety. Chen Ou had promised to discuss some questions with her, but now that he was sleeping, she felt it would be rude to disturb him.

"If you want to go find him, just go."

Just as Eri felt helpless and was considering giving up, Bianca suddenly spoke. Eri looked at her, offering a puzzled glance. "But the Doctor is sleeping."

Bianca shook her head with a light chuckle. "That guy just doesn't want to be bothered. Otherwise, he’d be surrounded right now, just like Professor Erika. But since he gave you his word earlier, he won't turn you away if you go over."

Bianca looked at Chen Ou and gave him a faint eye-roll—which, of course, went unseen.

"Go ahead, don't worry. He takes his promises quite seriously," Bianca added, turning back to Eri. She wasn't trying to set Eri up; it was simply that Chen Ou’s mindset aligned with what she had said. Furthermore, Chen Ou genuinely appreciated this girl named Eri. If she went to call on him, he likely wouldn't be displeased, whereas if it were anyone else, his temperament might not be so accommodating.

Eri studied Bianca’s eyes for a moment. Though perhaps a bit impolite, she saw only sincerity, devoid of any mischievous intent. With that, Eri nodded, took a deep breath, and walked toward Chen Ou.

Watching Eri, Youyue couldn't help but let out a giggle. Bianca turned to look at the delicate girl, who was like a flower grown in a greenhouse.

"The way Eri looked just now—it’s exactly how my brother looked when he went to the premiere of Diantha’s movie and got to shake her hand."

Bianca didn't find it funny. She knew that in the eyes of researchers in this field, Chen Ou’s status wasn't merely the lighthearted admiration a fan felt for an idol. For a Pokémon scholar, meeting a leader in their field was a weightier, more profound sense of reverence—because this was a person who truly possessed qualities worthy of such respect.

Liking is not the same as reverence. Reverence is an emotion that is difficult to shatter because it requires a foundation, whereas liking requires no such anchor. If you simply find someone pleasant, you can say you like them. Love, of course, is a different matter entirely. For Eri, that foundation was the research paper that had already caused such a stir in the academic world.

"Doctor? Doctor?"

Chen Ou heard someone calling him through his haze. He opened his eyes, slightly dazed, and saw Eri’s face. He offered a faint smile. "Ah, Eri. Is something the matter?"

Eri blushed, burying her head slightly, and murmured, "I have a few questions I was hoping to ask you."

Chen Ou watched her movement and twitched his lip—this girl was certainly quite earnest. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, nearly shaking the Chimchar off his head in the process. The Chimchar let out a helpless chirp, jumped off, and went to find Bianca.

Watching the Chimchar leave, Chen Ou’s smile stiffened for a moment in embarrassment. However, he possessed a resilient spirit and quickly composed himself, offering Eri an apologetic smile. "My apologies. I did promise you, but I’d forgotten."

Seeing that Chen Ou wasn't annoyed, Eri let out a sigh of relief. "No, it was my fault for disturbing your rest."

Chen Ou rubbed his nose. "It wasn't exactly rest. I just have a habit of catching up on sleep whenever I can, as you never know how comfortably you'll be able to sleep in the wild. But never mind that. Go ahead and ask your questions; I’ll do my best to answer."

Chen Ou’s "do my best" wasn't because he lacked the knowledge, but because there were certain things these students shouldn't know. Some truths were too heavy for students to bear; they weren't mere stories to be listened to. While the Legendary Pokémon of this world didn't possess the divine power of "to be spoken of is to be known," knowing too much inevitably led to entanglement. It was a form of causality.

"I actually wanted to know your perspective on mythologists," Eri asked, choosing this instead of a technical question.

Chen Ou twitched his lip again. He would have preferred a technical question; this topic would inevitably lead to discussions about life and ideals. Still, since she had asked, Chen Ou answered with genuine seriousness.

"Most mythologists deal with ruins and ancient texts. On the whole, it’s a safe path, but breakthroughs are hard to come by. While there are still many gaps and flaws in regional myths, without significant new discoveries, they’ll likely remain as they are. The texts have been mostly exhausted, and excavating ruins isn't a task for a single day. Fortunately, the pace of regional expansion is steady, so there’s never a shortage of material for mythological research. Overall, mythologists are among the most comfortable group of researchers to be in."